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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22417273">Blue On Black</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakayamaforever/pseuds/ASchwartz33'>ASchwartz33 (Kakayamaforever)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Boxing, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Anbu Hatake Kakashi, Anbu Yamato | Tenzou, Bottom Umino Iruka, Boxers, Child Soldiers, Confident Yamato, Creepy Shimura Danzou, Eventual Smut, Evil Shimura Danzou, Frottage, Guns, Harassment, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Itachi tries to be human, M/M, Manipulative Relationship, Mutual Masturbation, Panic Attacks, Paranoia, Polyamory, Protective Hatake Kakashi, Public Blow Jobs, Retired Anbu, Shisui is a Dork, Shooting Guns, Stalking, Switch Yamato|Tenzou, Threesome - M/M/M, Top Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Itachi Lives, Uchiha Obito Lives, Uchiha Shisui Lives, obito is a good friend</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 03:40:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>41,546</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22417273</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakayamaforever/pseuds/ASchwartz33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Iruka has finally managed to separate himself from his abusive boyfriend. He has nowhere to go until two mysterious and sexy boxers pick him up in a bar.</p><p>UPDATE: 11/2020 - ON TEMPORARY HIATUS</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka/Yamato | Tenzou, Hatake Kakashi/Yamato | Tenzou, Umino Iruka/Yamato | Tenzou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>275</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>546</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I don't have too much written on this yet, but the excitement of one of my favorite readers has prompted me to atleast get the full first chapter up. </p><p>P.s.! Follow me on tumblr for sneak peeks at other stories I am writing. @kakayamaforever</p><p>Also double p.s. I named this story after Five Finger Death Punch's version of the song</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Kakashi entered the dark bar, Tenzo following close behind him. They came here almost every friday night, ready to cool down after a fight night. Kakashi approached the bar, choosing a seat opposite the door. Tenzo sat to his left, as he always did, keeping watch over his blind spot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi held up his hand, signaling the bartender to bring them their regulars. The man was ready for them, setting both beers down on the bar in front of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They sat in comfortable silence, and Kakashi ran a sore hand through his silver hair. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Iruka!" A man several seats down called out. "I've been waiting for you. Did Mizuki give you a hard time?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The man was short, with shoulder length brown hair that was covered in a beanie. He wasn't a very big man, and Kakashi didn't find any shred of attractiveness about him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Genma. I'm sorry I'm late." The newcomer, Iruka apparently, replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The new man was a little taller, in much better shape, with smooth brown skin and his brown hair pulled into a ponytail. Kakashi shared one glance with Tenzo, seeing his friend also eyeing the two men farther down the bar. "Thoughts?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo grinned slyly at him, holding his cold beer up to a bruised spot on his temple. "He's cute." He said with a shrug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, turning back to watch the new man with interest. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't</span>
  </em>
  <span> Mizuki, Genma. I was just running behind." Iruka spoke defensively, running a tanned finger over the scar on the bridge of his nose. It was clearly a nervous habit of his.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're a terrible liar, Iruka. You can't keep letting him </span>
  <em>
    <span>control </span>
  </em>
  <span>you like this." Genma said angrily, frowning at the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi watched them carefully, noting the twitchyness Iruka was exhibiting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's not controlling me! He just </span>
  <em>
    <span>cares </span>
  </em>
  <span>about me." Iruka replied stubbornly. Genma opened his mouth to argue more, but he was interrupted by Iruka's cell phone. Kakashi couldn't help but snicker as "Baby one more time" by Britney Spears blared out into the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You see the </span>
  <em>
    <span>irony </span>
  </em>
  <span>in that song, right?" Genma said while Iruka answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey Baby! Oh… no that's just Genma. No we're just at the bar. I told you… no. I understand. I'll be home soon." Iruka hung up the phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mizuki wants you to go home?" Genma asked, a knowing look on his face as Iruka stood up from the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. He's had a bad day at work. I really should be there for him." Iruka said softly, fiddling with the zipper on his sweater. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure. See you later, Iruka." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kakashi watched the brunette leave, a small bit of disappointment settling in his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Too bad, Senpai. He looked like fun." Tenzo mused softly next to him. Kakashi turned to face the younger man. "I was thinking the same thing." He said with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi were back at the bar the next friday, their usual beers being slid across the counter to them as soon as they sat down. Kakashi stretched a little, twisting around to work the kinks out of his back as his Kohai iced his newest black eye with his beer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It actually doesn't look that bad." Kakashi commented, tilting his head to get a better look at Tenzo's eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunette grunted. "It </span>
  <em>
    <span>feels </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad." He replied with a small smile. Kakashi patted him on the shoulder reassuringly. "It was a good fight. You should be proud. That guy was a monster!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I almost lost." Tenzo mumbled, clearly pouting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"But you </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Kakashi answered with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His smile disappeared as someone smacked into his back violently, almost forcing Kakashi to drop his drink. He turned, ready for another fight, only to see the man from last week, Iruka, on the floor. The man was clearly drunk, holding his head and trying to catch his breath. He turned his brown eyes up to Kakashi, panic spreading across his features. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to!" Iruka spoke quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi held out a hand to help the guy up off of the floor, and the brunette flinched terribly, moving his hands up to block his face. Kakashi frowned, keeping his hand outstretched. "It's fine… let me help you up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka lowered his arms slowly, looking up at Kakashi's hand and accepting it. Once the man was standing, he was able to get a good look at him. Iruka had a nasty black eye, almost as bad as Tenzo's, and a concerning ring of bruising hidden under the collar of his shirt. Upon further inspection, he also noted some bruising on his wrists. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm so sorry for bumping into you! I think I'm a bit tipsy!" Iruka babbled, clearly still nervous to be in Kakashi's presence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything about this bothered him. Iruka was too jumpy, and too beat up. Kakashi wondered about that "controlling relationship" he had been defending last week. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry about it!" Kakashi answered with a smile. "Why don't you sit down for a bit and have a drink with us?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Us?" Iruka asked curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo leaned around Kakashi to wave at him, and Iruka's gaze went straight to his black eye. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm a boxer." Tenzo said quickly, explaining away the injury. "My name is Tenzo, and this is Kakashi." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I-I'm Iruka. I'd be happy to join you for a bit." The nervous man replied. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat with the two new men. He vaguely recognized them, thinking that he had seen them here before. Kakashi was stunning, pale and tall, with thick corded muscle that very clearly wrapped his whole lean body. He was wearing a black, button down shirt with long sleeves rolled up just enough to expose tattoos that Iruka suspected ran all the way up to his shoulders. He had been attracted to Kakashi's face the moment he saw it, sitting on the floor embarrassed after he had smashed into him. Kakashi's wonderful gray eyes (even the one surrounded by a thick scar) called out to him. He wanted to run his hands down that perfect jawline, run his tongue along those perfect teeth, and kiss those pale lips into oblivion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Then he had met Tenzo. Tenzo was a wonderfully attractive man, with a confident air around him that oozed sexiness. Tenzo was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>fit man. Iruka would have to be blind to miss </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. His tight t-shirt didn't hide an ounce of that muscle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat at the barstool, careful not to knock his tipsy ass back to the floor. "I just broke up with my boyfriend." He blurted out, cringing in his head immediately. Why the hell would he say that? Iruka was still afraid that Mizuki would be coming to collect him at any moment, that maybe he shouldn't have chosen to hide in the same bar he always went to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh? And are you alright?" Kakashi asked, his eyes lingering down at the bruises Iruka </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>weren't hidden enough by his sweatshirt. Iruka's hands flew up to the collar, pulling it up slightly self-consciously. The action made Kakashi finally look away. "I'm fine. It was just a uh… rough one I guess." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, the two men took mercy on him and changed the subject, and Iruka found that conversation flowed easily between the three of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a bit, Iruka's fun was interrupted once again by his phone ringing. Britney Spears rang out from his pocket, and Iruka frantically dug through his pants to get it. Mizuki's name sat on the screen, taunting him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You shouldn't answer that." Kakashi spoke calmly, placing a reassuring hand on Iruka's other arm. Unfortunately, years of being with Mizuki brought panic to the forefront of Iruka's mind, and he answered the phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka. Where the </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>are you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We broke up, Mizuki." Iruka tried to sound angry, but his shaky voice betrayed him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ha! You mean like all the other times? Don't be so </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Get your ass back here before I start to get </span>
  <em>
    <span>really </span>
  </em>
  <span>angry." Mizuki growled into the line. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka took a deep breath. Mizuki terrified him. He had always been this way. Iruka had followed him around, waited on him hand and foot, and listened to his every demand. Iruka shuddered thinking of the punishment that would be waiting for him if he went crawling back to Mizuki again. After the years of abuse, it took Mizuki choking him within an inch of his life to </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>open up his eyes to what was going on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I-I can't." Iruka replied, voice shaking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why the fuck not?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka searched his mind for an excuse. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Any </span>
  </em>
  <span>excuse. "I have a new boyfriend."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka could hear Mizuki scoff on his side of the line. "Yeah right, Iruka. Quit your bullshit and </span>
  <em>
    <span>get back here.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I told you already, I have a b-boyfriend." Iruka tried again, knowing there wasn't a chance in hell Mizuki would ever let him go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh yeah? What's his name?" He challenged. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's brain fumbled, desperately searching for a name to supply to his abuser. "K-Kakashi." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka flushed red immediately, not daring to look over to his new friends. He wouldn't be surprised if they had ditched him, honestly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You are so full of shit! As if you'd ever leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>me.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You couldn't survive one week without me taking care of your ass! You're probably just hiding out in the bar. I'm coming to get you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's breath caught, and he had no clue what to say. Warm hands wrapped around the one holding his phone, and Iruka looked over to see Kakashi. The man was very clearly concerned, though Iruka couldn't imagine why. The man took the phone from Iruka's hand easily, moving it up to his ear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey dickhead. This is Kakashi. You can go to the bar if you want, but you won't find Iruka there." He spoke confidently before hanging up the phone. Iruka's eyes went wide. Mizuki was going to be so mad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry." Tenzo said from his left side, placing another warm hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you out of here." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where have you been staying?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head a little as he looked down at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt another blush rising on his face. "Uh… I've been staying in my car. I just need to find a new place to park for the night." Iruka answered sheepishly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can't stay in your </span>
  <em>
    <span>car</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It's freezing outside!" Tenzo answered immediately, his worried face just as adorable as his normal expression. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can sleep on our couch tonight, and we'll help you sort something out in the morning." Kakashi said with finality. Iruka went to argue, but Kakashi leaned down to his level, putting reassuring hands on each side of his face. "It's okay, Iruka. I promise. We </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to help you."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked into those dark eyes, worrying for a second about someone telling him what to do. Just like Mizuki. But these eyes… they were different. They didn't hold the same malice and contempt that Mizuki's did. Iruka knew that if he said no, these two would listen. But he didn't want to. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"M-my car…" Iruka started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Give your keys to Tenzo. He'll follow us to our place. You shouldn't be driving anyway." Kakashi said softly. His tone wasn't demanding in the slightest, and something about that eased the worry right out of Iruka's mind. He reached into his pants and fished his keys out of his pocket. He placed them in Tenzo's warm hand. "Which car is it?" Tenzo asked softly, running his other hand over Iruka's back soothingly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Light B-blue Camry." Iruka answered, cursing his anxiety and his unsteady voice. It wasn't until Tenzo turned to leave that Iruka remembered what a complete disaster zone it was. "Sorry about the mess! I just haven't gotten around to cleaning it yet. I will! I swear!" He called out to the brunette, who paused to look back at him worriedly. "I'm sure it's fine, Iruka." He said with a soft smile before leaving again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's fingers wove between his, bringing his attention back to the bar. "Come on, let's get you out of here before any assholes show up." Iruka nodded, and allowed Kakashi to lead him out of the bar and into the parking lot. As they walked, Iruka spotted his shitty blue car driving away. "I thought you said Tenzo would follow us?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We decided it would be better if he left as soon as possible. Your car is pretty recognizable." Kakashi assured him, leading him up to black BMW i8. "T-this is your car?" Iruka asked, eyeing the fancy vehicle and thinking about the shitty thing Tenzo just drove off in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi just shrugged, opening up the passenger door to let Iruka in. The gentle shutting of the door caught him off guard as he settled in the seat. He scolded himself. Someone doing something </span>
  <em>
    <span>nicely </span>
  </em>
  <span>shouldn't be such a shock to him. Kakashi entered the driver's seat gracefully, starting the car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka shivered slightly, partially from nerves and partially from the cold. Kakashi leaned over, hitting the seat warmer button and Iruka smiled at him. "Thank you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi smiled back. "No problem. Just relax, okay?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, feeling his seat warming up nicely as they pulled out of the parking lot. Iruka felt his face pale as they passed Mizuki's maroon SUV, even though he knew there was no way for the man to see him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Was that him?" Kakashi asked. Iruka nodded, thankful that they managed to get out of there before he had shown up. His new friend didn't say anything else, he just let Iruka sit there in comfortable silence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt his body relax into the warm seat, the smooth ride of Kakashi's car practically lulling him to sleep as his eyes slowly closed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka woke to a gentle hand on his shoulder. Kakashi was leaning into the passenger door with a smile on his face. "We're here. You ready to go up?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked around, identifying the area as some sort of parking garage. His shitty car stood out among the ones parked there, sitting only two spaces down. Kakashi led him through the garage, walking over to an elevator. This was all new to him. His crappy apartment had street parking only, and he had to ascend three floors worth of stairs that were outside and had no covering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered the elevator and Kakashi pressed the shiny "P" button at the top of the list. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's the P stand for?" Iruka asked curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi looked at him, a small amused grin on his face. "Penthouse." Iruka's eyebrows raised and his face went red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"</span>
  <em>
    <span>You live in a penthouse</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Iruka asked in amazement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, leading Iruka out into the small hallway the elevator stopped at. There was only one door, so Iruka assumed it would be Kakashi's place. They entered the room and Iruka gasped in amazement. The place was </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Everything in it was modern and sleek, and there were two walls that were solid windows that looked over the entire city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked around in wonder, making his way over to the giant windows. He could see </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything </span>
  </em>
  <span>from here, and it was beautiful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Amazing, isn't it?" Tenzo's smooth voice spoke from the side. Iruka turned to smile at him, taking a moment to appreciate the attractive man. Tenzo was leaning one forearm against the glass, and watching Iruka with a bright smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. It is. What kind of crazy job do you have that you can afford a place like </span>
  <em>
    <span>this?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Iruka asked enthusiastically. Tenzo smirked, his black eye doing nothing to detract from the sexiness of it. "I told you, I'm a boxer." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Technically, we're retired military." Kakashi chimed in from the other side. "But we box for fun, mostly." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka stifled a yawn. "Military? What branch were you in?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "Perhaps we'll get into that tomorrow. For now, let's get you to bed." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Would you like to borrow some pajamas?" Kakashi asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh… no. I'll be fine." Iruka assured them. He usually just slept in his boxers… though he didn't feel like saying that sentence out loud to two very attractive men. He looked around, spying two different couches in the room. "Which couch would you like me to sleep on?" He asked curiously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Neither." Tenzo answered with a grin. "You can take my bed for the night." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No way! I couldn't have you sleeping on the couch. This is </span>
  <em>
    <span>your</span>
  </em>
  <span> apartment after all." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I won't be. I'm going to bunk with Kakashi." Tenzo continued to smile, and its effect was almost dizzying. "I end up sleeping in there a lot of the time anyway." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed. "Oh! Okay. Are you two…?" Iruka asked, gesturing with his arms in the hope that they would understand. The two looked at each other before returning their gaze to Iruka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We aren't </span>
  <em>
    <span>dating</span>
  </em>
  <span>… but we do sleep together, if that's what you're asking." Kakashi supplied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka continued to blush, his face starting to feel so warm that he was sure he would start sweating at any moment. Now, he couldn't stop picturing the two of them, tattooed, naked, sweaty and covered in muscles… together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. I see." He replied, trying not to get himself too worked up thinking about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo led Iruka over to his room, pointing out the bathroom on the way. His room was fairly plain, without many decorations or personal items. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka went inside, turning around to thank his hosts as Kakashi popped back up in the doorway. Iruka's breath faltered for a moment at the sight of him. He was only wearing a pair of boxer-briefs, his entire muscled, tattooed body on display as he leaned on the doorframe. "If you need anything, don't be afraid to let us know." He said with a wink. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka couldn't keep his eyes from wandering, trailing from those perfect pecks down to the v-line of his abs. The man was built to be an underwear model, in Iruka's opinion. His staring didn't go unnoticed, and both men had mischievous grins on their faces as they left Iruka alone in the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka finally pulled his phone back out of his pocket. He had 7 voicemails from Mizuki. How did he not notice the man calling him non-stop? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi must've turned the volume off when he took my phone. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka was thankful for that. He wasn't sure he would be capable of holding out from the man if he kept calling. He was weak. He knew it. Iruka had dumped Mizuki four times in the past. And every time, he went crawling straight back. Mizuki was manipulating him, telling him that nobody wanted him and that he was worthless. Yet here he was… in the apartment of the two hottest guys he had ever seen in his life. Iruka may have been blind when it came to Mizuki, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>certainly </span>
  </em>
  <span>wasn't blind to the looks Tenzo and Kakashi had been giving him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He sighed as he held the button on his phone until it powered down, knowing that was the only way he would be able to sleep through the night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Iruka woke up slowly. Tenzo's bed was </span>
  <em>
    <span>super </span>
  </em>
  <span>comfortable… probably the softest bed he had ever slept on, and it smelled wonderful. Was this what Tenzo smelled like? If so, Iruka was definitely a fan. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stood up and stretched, throwing his shirt back on but electing to leave his pants off for the moment. He was just going to the bathroom after all. Luckily, Iruka remembered where it even was, and was heading back to Tenzo's room when he noticed the other two men were awake. He padded out into the living room, rubbing his eyes as he went. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good morning." Tenzo said with a smile, leaning against the window with just a pair of blue basketball shorts on. Just as Iruka had expected, Tenzo was a lot bulkier than Kakashi. His chest was large and beautiful, attached to obviously strong arms and abs that were chiseled from marble. The man had bruises everywhere from whatever fight he had been in, and Iruka was a little ashamed to know that his own body looked similar.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good morning." He replied. Iruka tried not to stare too hard at the man, instead looking out the large windows he was leaning against. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, aren't we looking </span>
  <em>
    <span>extra </span>
  </em>
  <span>lovely this morning." Kakashi drawled from the side, walking over with what looked like fruit shakes. He handed one to Tenzo, and held the other out for Iruka, who was blushing profusely. "Want one? I made enough for all of us. It's strawberry banana." He offered with a smile on his face. Kakashi was similarly dressed, wearing some </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>low hanging shorts. Iruka took the offered smoothie, thanking the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Would you like a pair of shorts to wear?" Tenzo asked, causing Iruka to blush again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh… sorry. Yeah, I'll take some." Iruka answered, mortified that he had wandered out here in his underwear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't apologize. It's a nice view." Kakashi said with a wink, returning with a drink of his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hm. I could say the same thing." Iruka replied without thinking. His smile faded instantly and he felt all the blood run from his face. Why did he suddenly feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>guilty</span>
  </em>
  <span>? He was single now, wasn't he? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Single. </span>
  </em>
  <span>That was something he hadn't been for five years.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi mercifully had sensed the change in atmosphere, and didn't respond to Iruka's blatant flirting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How'd you sleep?" Kakashi asked, dragging Iruka out of his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Great! That mattress is extremely comfortable. Thank you so much for letting me stay last night. I'll try to be out of your hair soon." Iruka responded politely, wondering where the hell he was going to go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nonsense. Why don't you stay here with us for a while? It's nice to finally have some company besides Tenzo." Kakashi spoke softly, gesturing to the man as he returned with a pair of shorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"These are Kakashi's. I have a feeling they'll fit better than mine would." Tenzo said happily, handing the shorts over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… I couldn't possibly stay here. You don't know anything about me." Iruka spoke quickly, pulling the shorts on awkwardly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well… why don't we sit down and chat for a while? Maybe you'll feel better afterwards." Tenzo spoke calmly, his eyes filled with what Iruka believed to be hope. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, sitting down on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>comfortable couch as the two men sat across from him on the other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why don't you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?" Kakashi spoke enthusiastically. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka groaned internally. He knew this was going to be embarrassing. "Well… I uh… I'm 24." Iruka answered, his age being the only thing his brain wanted to supply at the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Where do you work?" Tenzo asked, trying to move the conversation forward. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed. "Well… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a teacher. Until two days ago when I was fired." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fired? How come?" Kakashi asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well… I missed too many days. When… when I broke up with Mizuki… I had to miss another day." Iruka mumbled the response. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Did you miss all the other days because of Mizuki too?" Tenzo asked quietly. Iruka swallowed nervously, then nodded. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ok. Why do you still drive that car? It barely runs." Tenzo asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed, seeing the unfortunate theme in his answers. "Mizuki sold me that car when he got his new one. I pay him money every month for it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men were silent, watching him carefully. Iruka shuffled nervously, until finally Kakashi spoke. "How much?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I pay him $300 a month for it." Iruka answered, embarrassment gripping onto him tightly. "I know. It's stupid. I… I let him talk me into </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's okay, Iruka. It's not your fault." Tenzo said, moving over to the couch Iruka was on to place a reassuring hand on his knee. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So… you two lived together?" Kakashi asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah." Iruka replied numbly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is your name on the lease?" He continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka shook his head. "He liked to tell me how great he was for letting me stay in </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>apartment every time we fought."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is your name on the title for that car?" Tenzo asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed loudly, placing his face down into his hands. "No." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That phone you have, is it part of </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> phone plan?" Kakashi asked. All of these questions were making Iruka realize just how pathetic he was. "No. That's why I turned it off last night. Mizuki likes to track me with an app he installed." Iruka replied quietly through his hands, while Tenzo wrapped an arm around his back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your bank account?" Kakashi asked carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's mine, but Mizuki has been on it almost the entire time we've been dating. For all I know he already drained it. All of my savings are in there." Iruka responded sourly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Which bank?" Tenzo asked quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Konoha Mutual." Iruka responded, confusion evident in his tone. He wasn't sure why that mattered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Perfect." Kakashi responded. "What's your last name?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Umino." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi pulled out his phone, quickly dialing a number. "Hey Sai. I need a favor." He spoke softly as he went into the other room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who's Sai?" Iruka asked Tenzo as he leaned into the man's side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's a friend of ours from the military. He works at Konoha Mutual." Tenzo answered honestly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi walked back into the room. "Iruka, get dressed. We're gonna run to the bank real quick. It's just across the street." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka and Kakashi entered the bank quickly, the silver-haired man making a beeline for an office in the back. In the office was a younger man, with skin even paler than Kakashi's, and short black hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Captain." He greeted Kakashi. "Mr. Umino."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"N-nice to meet you." Iruka replied as Kakashi shook hands with the man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sai, thanks for coming in on such short notice." Kakashi said with a smile. The younger man smiled back, and looked to Iruka. "I need to see your debit card, please." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka paused for a moment, caught off guard by the request, before digging his wallet out of his pocket. He handed the card to the man, who looked at it for about two seconds before handing it back and typing on the keyboard furiously. A single paper printed on the desk behind him, and he blindly reached back and grabbed it. "Sign here, please." Sai asked, pointing to a line on the page. Iruka did as he was told, not bothering to read it. Sai stared at his computer screen for a moment before holding a pen of his own on the other signature line. He concentrated on the computer for another moment before signing Mizuki's name perfectly in the box. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's jaw dropped. It looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly </span>
  </em>
  <span>like Mizuki's signature. Kakashi tilted his head to look at it. "What a douchey signature." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sai looked at it too, before nodding his head in agreement. "Alright. You're all set. I believe this makes us even now, Captain." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That it does. Thanks a million, Sai." Kakashi answered with a smile, as he ushered a still stunned Iruka out of the bank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What just happened?" Iruka asked, still in a daze. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Technically? Something very illegal that you can never speak about again." Kakashi answered in a hushed voice as they walked back into the elevator. "Mizuki no longer has access to your account, and his card has been deactivated. All of your money is still in there." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka breathed a sigh of relief. He had about $2,000 saved up in there. Really, it wasn't a lot. But it had taken him a long time to save up that much with all the money Mizuki took from him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you, Kakashi." Iruka replied, his voice breaking a little as his emotions got the best of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey." Kakashi spoke softly, pulling Iruka into a hug as the elevator continued its ascent. "It's alright." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka melted into the embrace, needing that little bit of contact after going so long without it. Mizuki hadn't held him like this since the first part of their relationship, way back when he was still trying to dig his claws into Iruka's life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elevator opened, and Kakashi shuttled Iruka outside of it so the doors could close again. He just held him there, letting the ex-teacher sob into his probably very expensive shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka managed to get ahold of himself, he apologized, horribly embarrassed by his lack of self-control. Kakashi reassured him, keeping his arm wrapped around Iruka's shoulders as he led him back into the penthouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They walked inside and immediately drew Tenzo's attention. "Is everything alright?" He asked as he crossed distance and pulled Iruka into a hug of his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I'm just being a crybaby." Iruka croaked out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on. Let's sit down." Tenzo cooed softly, leading the emotional man back to the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt ridiculous crying in front of his friends, but he couldn't help it when he thought about the fact that after five years, he finally had something that was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>his. His bank account. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Not </span>
  <em>
    <span>theirs</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka, we need to talk a bit more." Kakashi said as he sat down on his other side. Iruka nodded, waiting for them to resume their line of questioning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your neck." Tenzo commented. "Was that before or after you broke up with him?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka swallowed nervously. "Uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>during, </span>
  </em>
  <span>I guess. I was confronting him. He punched me in the eye and knocked me down."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tenzo watched as Iruka struggled to speak about Mizuki. He felt absolutely terrible. The man had Iruka wrapped so tightly around his finger that Tenzo was amazed he had gotten away at all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And then he choked you?" Kakashi asked slowly. Tenzo could see the tension in the older man's body. Kakashi didn't take too kindly to abusers, not that </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>should. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, and Tenzo regretted the fact that they needed all the information. "Can you show us?" He asked quietly. "Of course, you don't have to if you're uncomfortable." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka shivered a little bit, but stood up and faced them. He wouldn't look them in the eyes, and Tenzo understood. This had to be difficult. Iruka pulled his shirt over his head quickly, exposing his heavily bruised neck… along with </span>
  <em>
    <span>way </span>
  </em>
  <span>more bruising than Tenzo had expected. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka had several large bruises to his torso that Tenzo easily identified as a by-product of being punched. That wasn't what bothered him. With the long sleeves of his shirt gone, Iruka's bruised wrists and arms were exposed. There were old scars from having his wrists bound, things Tenzo recognized from his time in black ops, and one </span>
  <em>
    <span>very telling </span>
  </em>
  <span>scar moving up the veins in his forearm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo forced himself to look away from that one, not wanting to press Iruka for information on something that was likely the worst moment of his life. Instead his attention fell to the ugly finger bruises on his waist. On someone that </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>in an obviously abusive relationship, Tenzo wouldn't give them a second thought. Kakashi and Tenzo had left plenty of similar bruises on each other… but these, coupled with the bruising on his wrists, painted a much worse picture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And… those?" Kakashi asked, his voice quiet and nervous. He didn't want to hear the answer, but it was something they needed to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked down to the marks. "Oh. That was after. It looks bad… but that's nothing unusual."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"After? You wanted to have sex with him after he </span>
  <em>
    <span>choked </span>
  </em>
  <span>you?" Kakashi asked, disbelief evident in his tone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Well, no. Of course not. But I don't always </span>
  <em>
    <span>want</span>
  </em>
  <span> to have sex when Mizuki does. That's just what you do when you're in a relationship." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo were quiet for a moment. Iruka started looking between them nervously, grabbing his shirt and throwing it back on.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"When you didn't want to… did you tell him "no"?" Tenzo asked carefully, trying not to upset Iruka any more than necessary. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. But sometimes the other person's needs are more important! You have to understand </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Don't you do that for Kakashi? I know you aren't in a real relationship, but I'm sure you would do the same thing." Iruka rambled, suddenly looking unsure of himself. "Right?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's heart hurt. Mizuki had fucked him up way worse than either of them had expected. "No." He answered, his voice cracking a little. "I would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>even </span>
  <em>
    <span>touch</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kakashi if he didn't want me to. That's… that's not okay. That's </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> normal."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka stood still, his face pale and his hands shaking. They wouldn't move to comfort him. Not after that. If he wanted the comfort, they would let him go to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat down on the couch opposite of them, placing his face down in his hands. "I'm so stupid." He choked out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not stupid, Iruka. Mizuki has manipulated you. It happens more often than you think. It's happened to me before too." Tenzo spoke softly. "Don't blame yourself for this… </span>
  <em>
    <span>none </span>
  </em>
  <span>of it is your fault." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat still for a few minutes. "Do you… would it be okay if I called a friend of mine? Bring them over so I could talk to them for a bit?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi nodded immediately. "Go ahead, Iruka. Do whatever you need to. Just… try not to leave your phone on for too long." Kakashi answered. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry. It's not that talking to you doesn't help. I just… feel like I need a familiar face." Iruka started. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Please… don't apologize to us, Iruka. You've done absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, treat this place like it's your own. I want to invite you to stay here with us for a while." Kakashi answered honestly. Iruka started to protest, but Kakashi held up a hand. "Before you say no, atleast run it by your friend." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka paused, then nodded, excusing himself back to Tenzo's bedroom. Kakashi moved to Tenzo's side immediately, pulling the brunette in for a hug. Kakashi was shaking a bit, in what Tenzo assumed was a mixture of anger and sadness. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>So I do reference child abuse in this chapter but I am not going to be actually showing any of it happening. Just fyi</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It was half an hour later when someone knocked loudly on the door. Kakashi moved to answer it quickly, letting Iruka relax on the couch. He opened the door, shocked to see a former subordinate on the other side. Anko was clearly surprised as well, staring with wide eyes. "C-Captain." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Captain? You know Kakashi?" Iruka asked curiously, popping up behind him to greet his friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka!" Anko recovered, walking inside past the still-confused Kakashi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anko?" Tenzo asked cautiously, and the short woman's head spun to see her former teammate. "Tenzo!" She shouted, running over to hug the brunette. Iruka gaped at them, probably thinking the same things Kakashi was. </span>
  <em>
    <span>What a small world.</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"I can't believe that out of everyone in this damn city, you ended up staying with </span>
  <em>
    <span>these two!</span>
  </em>
  <span> I've known these boys for a </span>
  <em>
    <span>long time</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They're good people." Anko practically shouted as Iruka showed her to Tenzo's room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was almost an hour later when Anko left the room with red eyes. She walked slowly over to the two men as they watched her from the couch. She sat down opposite of them, her hands clasped uncomfortably in her lap. "Iruka told me everything. Thank you, for taking care of him. I knew Mizuki was bad news… but I didn't know it was like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I told him that he should stay here with you. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>that this is the safest place in the world for him, and there is nobody I would trust more than you."  She explained professionally.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's pretty high praise, coming from you." Tenzo said with a smile, making an attempt to lighten the mood. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anko laughed. "That's true. It's probably the nicest thing I've ever said to you guys." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How is he?" Kakashi asked sheepishly. He hadn't seen Anko in years. He hadn't even been aware that she had moved back to the city. The last time they had spoken, he was still wearing a mask, refusing to show anyone aside from Tenzo what was going on beneath the surface. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think he'll be okay once he's fully separated from that asshole. I hear you're already working on that." Anko replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka walked out of Tenzo's bedroom, and Anko stood up quickly. "Iruka, I gotta get going. But I will stop by in a few days." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka gave her a hug, and Kakashi wondered exactly how much he knew about Anko. The woman had been very close to them for a time, and a good chunk of their stories were the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>With Anko gone, they could continue with the process of extracting Mizuki from Iruka's life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I guess if I'm going to be staying here for a while, I should go try to find a job." Iruka mumbled, an adorable blush dusting his cheeks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think I know just where you can get one." Kakashi replied with a smile. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Gai's gym was only two blocks away from the penthouse, and Tenzo definitely would feel better if Iruka would accept a job there. The three of them walked down the street comfortably, both of them chiming in at different moments to tell their new roommate about the area. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they stopped in front of the large doors, Iruka looked confused. "Here? I don't exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>work out</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Do you really think I could get a job here?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Of course!" Tenzo replied with a smile. "This isn't just a workout center. It's a recreational building. There is a rock climbing wall, a huge pool, a boxing ring, and a nutrition center. You don't have to be a weightlifter to work here. They need all sorts of people."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled softly, and followed them in eagerly. Tenzo knew that Kakashi's presence wouldn't go unnoticed by Gai, and braced himself for the inevitable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sure enough, they had barely made it through the door before the booming voice called across the room. "RIVAL! We meet again!" Gai jumped in from the side, and Iruka just about jumped out of his skin. Tenzo placed a hand on his shoulder, and he appeared to relax a little. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you here to challenge me?" Gai asked, standing tall in his obnoxious green workout suit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maa, Gai. Already looking for another loss? Actually, I'm here to see if you had a job available for my good friend, Iruka." Kakashi drawled, gesturing to the shy man next to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed as Gai looked at him, and Tenzo felt a little bad for not introducing them differently. Gai was a huge man, and an intimidating one at that. He was tall and burly and very obviously strong. But more than that, he was an extremely nice guy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka, any friend of Kakashi's is a friend of mine. I'm Gai, it's nice to meet you." Gai spoke with a bright smile. Iruka just barely flinched when Gai flung his hand out, and it didn't go unnoticed by the giant. He slowed down, an uncommon thing for him. "Pardon my enthusiasm, friend. I just am bursting with so much energy!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka reached out and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Iruka Umino." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, Iruka, if it's a job you need, I have plenty of spaces available here. I need someone to clean equipment, a rock climbing instructor, a new person to run the front desk, and someone to mix shakes at the stand. What type of job would you like?" Gai bellowed, gesturing wildly to different parts of the building as he led them back into his office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Uh… I could probably work the front desk. I really appreciate you offering me a job without even knowing me." Iruka spoke softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Working the desk would probably be good for Iruka. He would be dealing with a wide variety of people, and likely have to even be stern with some of them. Tenzo was thankful for someone like Gai, who blindly trusted Kakashi's opinion of people. The older man would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>ask Gai to give a job to someone he didn't trust or care for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a bit more information and filling out forms, Kakashi walked Iruka out of the office. Tenzo stayed behind to chat with Gai. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man looked at him expectantly. "Iruka may have someone looking for him, and I was hoping you'd be able to keep an eye on him." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is he in trouble with the law?" Gai asked, one eyebrow raised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. Abusive ex-boyfriend. He is living with us at the moment and we're working on it… but the guy has his claws in pretty deep. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes here looking for him." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. I can assure you he will be safe here. What's the guy's name?" Gai spoke seriously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mizuki. I don't have a last name yet." Tenzo replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright. There is no one by that name registered at this gym, and I will have my apprentice keep an eye on him as well." Gai said, smiling and shaking Tenzo's hand. "Thanks, Gai. We owe you one. And thank Lee for me as well." Tenzo shouted as he left the office. Kakashi and Iruka were waiting for him in the lobby, Iruka looking slightly concerned at what he had been talking to Gai about in the office. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry, I had to set up my next match." Tenzo said with a grin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How often do you fight?" Iruka asked as they walked out the front doors. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, what you do is you fight three Fridays in a row, and then you take one off. I have one more before my off week." Tenzo replied easily, walking beside Iruka and watching his face scrunch up in thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So… </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>had an off week this time?" He asked Kakashi. One silver brow rose. "No. I fought yesterday. Why?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well you don't have a bunch of bruises so I thought maybe you didn't fight." Iruka said with confusion.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled warmly, putting an arm around Iruka's shoulders as they walked down the road. Tenzo was surprised when Iruka leaned into the contact a bit, but kept the surprise from his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's just because we have different styles. Tenzo is a heavyweight. He falls into the larger category. He is the type of boxer that stands in the center of the ring and beats the shit out of you. In doing so, he takes a lot of punches. So he looks terrible, but he actually won his match." Kakashi explained. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What kind of boxer are </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Iruka asked. Tenzo smiled, enjoying the curiosity of the younger man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Technically I don't weigh enough to fight in the same class as Tenzo, but I opted to move up and fight in it anyway." Kakashi drawled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kakashi is a runner. He leads you on with his speed, pisses you off with his words, and tires you out. He is too fast to hit, and once you are tired he knocks you out." Tenzo spoke calmly, thinking about his last match with the man. Kakashi had goaded him, just like every other time, pissing him off and forcing him to make a mistake. Like always. Kakashi knew just how to get under his skin, just like he did to everyone else he fought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I see. I didn't realize there were different fighting styles." Iruka mused, a smile on his face as they entered the garage to take the private elevator. There was another elevator inside the lobby of the building, but they had always preferred the more secluded one. Mostly because all three of the ladies that worked the front desk were relentless in their flirting and cooing at them… but also because Tenzo often had large bruises on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Right before they got in the elevator, a familiar voice called out. "Captain!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo turned to see Yugao, another former black ops member and friend. Kakashi had called her earlier in the morning, and Tenzo was happy to see her. Stage two was on its way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yugao. I'm glad you could make it." Kakashi said as he spun around to greet the purple haired woman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Senpai, I brought the items you requested." The woman said with a small bow. She turned to Iruka. "You must be Mr. Umino." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am. Nice to meet you." Iruka said, sounding a bit unsure of what was happening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yugao is going to transfer all of your contacts, files, and information into a new phone." Tenzo informed him. "She will need your old one so she can move to a new location to turn it on though. I hope that's okay." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blinked at him. "You are giving me a new phone? I couldn't possibly accept that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi both smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. You can pay us for it later if it makes you feel better." Kakashi said reassuringly, though Tenzo knew that he would not accept a dime from the other man. That's just how Kakashi was, and he had taught Tenzo to be the same way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded reluctantly, fishing his phone out of his pocket and handing it to the woman. She held out a set of keys for Tenzo, slipping Iruka's phone into her pocket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks." Tenzo spoke softly, putting a hand on Iruka's shoulder. "Come on, let's go to your car for a minute." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." Iruka answered quietly, and the two left Yugao and Kakashi to speak in private. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They approached the shitty blue thing that Iruka called a car, and Tenzo spotted the new vehicle next to it. "Alright. Anything in your car that you would like to keep needs to be moved into this one." Tenzo said with a smile, unlocking the new car with the button on the keys. Iruka gaped at him. "Who's car is this? And what's happening to mine?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "This one is just a loaner until you find a car you actually want. But we need to get this one out of here. Mizuki could report it stolen if he wants, and not to mention he can use it to find you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed. "You're right. I suppose I won't miss this piece of shit anyway. Just another thing Mizuki used to control me." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yugao had left and came back before they had finished transferring the contents of Iruka's car. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This phone is under your name. No one can take this from you. The car belongs to my company, but I assure you, if you decide you like it, no one is going to ever come looking for it." She said with a smile. Iruka handed her the keys to Mizuki's car, and she drove it away after saying goodbye. Tenzo knew she would drop it off at Mizuki's house once the man was at work, with Iruka's old phone sitting in the cup holder with the memory wiped clean. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"As of right now, you have a clean break. Nothing in your life should connect you to Mizuki, right?" Kakashi asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well… the Directv and electric bills are under </span>
  <em>
    <span>my</span>
  </em>
  <span> name." Iruka mumbled. Kakashi smiled, and Tenzo followed his mischievous logic. "Sounds like we can test out your new phone. You should call and cancel those." He replied, watching Iruka turn the thoughts over in his mind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mizuki will be </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed</span>
  </em>
  <span> if I do that." Iruka mused softly. Tenzo watched him, curious how he would react. "Serves him right." Iruka said strongly, meeting his gaze. Tenzo was proud of him. He was doing so well, even when Mizuki clearly was rooted into his life. Tenzo hadn't done </span>
  <em>
    <span>nearly </span>
  </em>
  <span>as well way back when Kakashi had saved him from Danzo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kinoe sat alone on the bench, blood stained clothes sticking to his skin as he waited outside Danzo's office for new orders. This mission had been easy, but he knew his "post mission celebration" was next. He hated it. Everytime Danzo locked them in his office, a little piece of him died. But he was a tool…  not a person. This was what he was </span>
  </em>
  <span>born </span>
  <em>
    <span>to do. To serve his country in every way possible. If that meant being a cock sleeve for Danzo… then Kinoe would weather through it. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Hey, Tenzo." A familiar voice called out, and Kinoe looked up to see Kakashi standing over him. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"My name </span>
  </em>
  <span>isn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tenzo. You know that." Kinoe replied stubbornly. The only mission he had ever gotten to go on with the older boy had required a codename, and his had been Tenzo. Kakashi absolutely </span>
  </em>
  <span>refused </span>
  <em>
    <span>to call him Kinoe, and he wasn't sure why. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"How old are you now?" Kakashi asked quietly, looking at Danzo's door nervously. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'll be 13 in two weeks." He replied. Kinoe knew that the age limit for the Root program was 13, but Danzo had already informed him he wasn't going anywhere. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Almost time to switch to Anbu, then?" Kakashi asked happily. "Maybe you can be on </span>
  </em>
  <span>my </span>
  <em>
    <span>team." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kinoe knew Kakashi was formidable. In this program, many were. They were child soldiers. They were disposable, and could slip into enemy territory with ease. Even so, Kakashi was one of the best. He had been made captain at only 14, and only had four years left until he turned 20 and left the program entirely. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kinoe shook his head solemnly. "Danzo says he's keeping me here in Root."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi sat down quickly, their armor brushing together as the older boy looked at him. "Does he… have post mission celebrations with you?" He asked timidly. Kinoe nodded. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"He… used to do that with me too. Back before I turned 13. He said that he was keeping me… but I told Captain Minato and he had me pulled out. I can do that for </span>
  </em>
  <span>you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you know." Kakashi spoke softly. "Then you can be on </span>
  </em>
  <span>my </span>
  <em>
    <span>team."</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kinoe shook his head. "I can't do that. I'm special. Danzo needs me." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi sighed, but straightened up when Danzo's door opened. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Kinoe." The old man said simply, and the young boy obeyed. He strolled into the office past Danzo, leaving Kakashi behind. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tenzo sat up quickly, breathing heavily as he tried to regain his senses. He had been sleeping. In Kakashi's bed… </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>in Danzo's office. That was a long time ago. But now, with Iruka being around, he was suddenly reminded of what a naive and brainwashed child he had been. Though… to be fair… wasn't that kind of the point of the child soldier program? Nameless, faceless children who had no family left to speak of, trained and brainwashed to kill their enemies without question. He was used for much more than that. Tenzo knew that now. Kakashi had fought tooth and nail to open his eyes and rip him out of the Root program. Danzo was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>sick bastard</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tenzo could admit that now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked over to find Kakashi watching him. The man had worry written all over his face, and Tenzo could only hope he hadn't been talking in his sleep again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked quietly, wrapping an arm across Tenzo's midsection.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo laid back down, snuggling up next to his friend, and the man he still considered his captain. "Yeah. All of this stuff just has me thinking about the past." He answered quietly, trying not to flinch as Kakashi's cold nose pressed up to his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Me too." Came the quiet reply up against his skin. Of course, Kakashi had gone through the exact same thing Tenzo had. Their stories were the same, except Tenzo's started a few years behind Kakashi's. That was long behind them. The whole program had been disbanded after Danzo's murder, and most of the child soldiers had settled here in Konoha. Tenzo had </span>
  <em>
    <span>just </span>
  </em>
  <span>turned 17, and Kakashi was about to turn 20. He had almost been out anyway. But now, instead of moving on to the regular military, he was allowed the option to retire. Because of the atrocities and potential legal repercussions of the program, they were offered </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> more money than they had ever expected to see in their life. Hush money. But still… money. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Now, they were here. It had been 8 years since Tenzo had followed Kakashi into battle. He would still follow the man anywhere. If Kakashi destroyed all of his belongings and decided he wanted to roam as a homeless vagabond, Tenzo would be right behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They weren't boyfriends. Not really. They didn't care for the title. They brought people home. They shared lovers. They shared </span>
  <em>
    <span>each other</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They just </span>
  <em>
    <span>lived</span>
  </em>
  <span>… because there was a good chunk of their life where that wasn't a guarantee. In fact, they were lucky to have made it out at all. Tenzo had lost track of the scars, and the amount of times they had to drag each other's lifeless bodies back to base. He hugged Kakashi tighter just thinking about it, and the other man responded by humming softly. Kakashi had done that as long as Tenzo had known him. Tenzo would break apart, and Kakashi would piece him back together, holding him and humming a soft little tune. Kakashi had his fair share of breaking points, and Tenzo made sure he was always there for him. But he didn't have anything quite as effective as Kakashi's humming. Warmth spread through him again as pale fingers stroked through his hair, and his eyes slowly drifted shut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka woke slowly, lazily stretching in Tenzo's bed. Today, he would meet with Genma at the bar. Kakashi had tried to convince him to have Genma show up here… but Iruka didn't want to feel like he was hiding. Well… he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>hiding. He just wanted to pretend for a little bit that he wasn't. He compromised though, and offered to let them come with him. He wanted to speak with Genma </span>
  <em>
    <span>alone </span>
  </em>
  <span>of course, but they could sit at the bar or play pool or something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They went in Kakashi's car, despite Iruka's protests. The man had a good point, though. Iruka hadn't gotten to drink with his friend in a long time, and now he didn't have to worry about driving home. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma was waiting for him at the door, his eyebrows raised at the car Iruka was stepping out of. His eyes quickly turned suspicious at the sight of Kakashi and Tenzo. He had every right to question Iruka's judgement at this point… but the two boxers were genuinely good guys. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey. I'm Genma." He greeted them politely, shaking each of their hands in turn as they introduced themselves. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat at the bar with his friend, happy that he wouldn't be getting a call to interrupt them this time. Tenzo and Kakashi started a game of pool on the other side of the room, and Genma still seemed worried about them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you sure about those two?" Genma asked quietly. "I don't want you to get hurt again." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka chuckled. "Well, if it makes you feel better, I had Anko over at their apartment yesterday." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma's eyebrows raised again. "Oh? And how did </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>go?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka took a drink of his beer before answering. "Well, she's known them since she was in the military I guess. She said I'd be crazy if I </span>
  <em>
    <span>didn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>stay with them." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wow." Genma replied. "That woman never approves of </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone. </span>
  </em>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>barely </span>
  </em>
  <span>approves of </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>most of the time!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed. "I know! She says that they can't stand people like Mizuki, and that they understood what I was going through. And plus… I mean… just </span>
  <em>
    <span>look at them."</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Genma did. He nodded slowly. "I'm not gay or anything… but those are definitely two good looking dudes. Are they…?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Gay?" Iruka said with a laugh. "I think so. I know they sleep with each other, and they flirt with me sometimes. But otherwise, they haven't said much. They are bisexual at the least, though." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma paused, watching them play pool. Iruka had no doubt that both men knew they were being watched, but were nice enough to pretend they didn't notice. "So… if they met Anko in the military… does that mean they are from the same branch as her?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka thought about that for a moment. Any time they had asked Anko about her service, she simply said "classified" or "can't talk about it". And anyone who asked her a </span>
  <em>
    <span>second </span>
  </em>
  <span>time, got punched in the face. Genma knew that from experience. "Well… she </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>call Kakashi 'Captain' when he answered the door." Iruka mused slowly. "I guess they probably are." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma hummed. "So </span>
  <em>
    <span>mysterious</span>
  </em>
  <span>. They </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>seem awful young to be retired already… just like Anko. I wonder if we will ever know what the hell their jobs were?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who knows. I asked them what branch they were in and they brushed my question off so easily I didn't even notice." Iruka mumbled, picking at the label on his beer bottle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A sudden presence next to him got his attention, and when he turned he was face to face with Mizuki. And he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"You think </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>can just ditch out on </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>and get away with it?" Mizuki growled lowly. "No one is going to want you besides me. You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>trash</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fuck off, Mizuki." Genma called out loudly. Iruka realized immediately that Genma had purposely called it out loud enough for Kakashi and Tenzo to hear. Iruka was frozen in a state of shock, hardly being able to breathe, let alone respond. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Shut up</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Genma. You're just a worthless piece of shit too. Get up, Iruka! </span>
  <em>
    <span>We're going home.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Mizuki commanded, wrapping a hand tightly around Iruka's arm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's not going </span>
  <em>
    <span>anywhere </span>
  </em>
  <span>with </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Kakashi spoke angrily, ripping Mizuki's hand away. Iruka turned to see Kakashi, his eyes darkened in anger as Tenzo waited a few feet behind him. Mizuki looked like he was prepared to </span>
  <em>
    <span>fight </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kakashi, even though the latter was very obviously in better shape… right up until he saw Tenzo staring him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chose to use his words instead. "So which one of you is </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" He asked, spitting the name out venomously. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I am." Kakashi answered, squaring himself up threateningly in front of the man. Mizuki almost looked like a child compared to them… though you wouldn't know it from his attitude. Mizuki clearly thought he was the best thing ever, and stepped up into Kakashi's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's going to be crawling back to </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>before you know it." Mizuki spat out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo huffed. "Yeah… </span>
  <em>
    <span>right</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mizuki was at least smart enough to feel outnumbered, and stalked out of the bar, slamming the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma got to him first, wrapping his arms around him protectively. It wasn't until </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>moment that Iruka realized how much he was shaking. Kakashi used a couple hand signs that Iruka didn't recognize, and Tenzo was out the door without a word. Probably making sure Mizuki was actually leaving. Kakashi turned to him, studying Iruka from a distance as he allowed Genma to try to calm him down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was about a step away from a panic attack. He could feel it. The tightness in his lungs and the shaking in his bones didn't appear to be going away, so Genma stepped back. Iruka could vaguely see his friend motioning for Kakashi to come give it a try. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other man stepped up hesitantly, opening his arms slightly in an invitation. Iruka took it, bolting off of his stool and into Kakashi's warm embrace. He felt safe here in the wonderfully strong arms that rubbed his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka placed his nose to Kakashi's chest and just sat there, smelling the man's wonderful cologne and enjoying the contact. He was finally fully able to calm down when he could swear he heard the man softly humming. It was just barely audible, and he had to really focus on it to hear it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Suddenly, Iruka remembered they were in a bar. The bartender, along with the rest of the patrons, were watching them intently. He removed himself from Kakashi's grasp, but felt Genma's hand rest on his shoulder. "Go home, Iruka. Let's meet up next week though, alright? I wanna see your new neighborhood." The man said with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded. He felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He felt like he would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>be able to stand up to Mizuki. Tenzo and Kakashi couldn't be there for him </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>the time… so what was he going to do? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo returned, signing some complicated looking things to Kakashi with an alarming efficiency. Genma looked amused by the display, but neither of the other two appeared to notice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The trip back to the penthouse was quiet. The two men smiled at him, and asked him questions about Genma in an effort to distract him, but it was no use. He already felt useless, and all he could think about were the awful things Mizuki said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they got inside, Kakashi pulled him around to face him. "Hey." He said gently. "You know he wasn't right, don't you? He's just trying to convince you that no one else would want you so you'll go back to him." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded weakly. He knew that… but he still couldn't help but feel like Mizuki's words had a grain of truth to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What if he's right?" Iruka whispered, staring down at the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He isn't." Kakashi said firmly, placing both of his hands on Iruka's waist. "You are a wonderfully attractive man. Anyone would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>lucky </span>
  </em>
  <span>to have you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka returned the light touching, placing his own hands on Kakashi's chest. The older man hummed happily, his thumbs tracing patterns into his skin beneath his shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka… you are one of the strongest people I've ever met. I can't believe you were able to pull away from someone who had clearly manipulated you so strongly. That's </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>an easy thing. You're going to come out of this much stronger, and much happier than you </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> were before. I promise you that." Kakashi cooed, still keeping eye contact with him. Iruka got lost for a moment in those deep gray eyes, and lost his breath when Kakashi leaned in slowly. The man placed a strong kiss onto his forehead before finally letting go of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo came around the corner with a bright smile on his face. His shirt was gone, and he was just wearing shorts again. Apparently, that was Tenzo's favorite way to lounge around. Iruka didn't mind. It meant that he got to look at those wonderful muscles. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I ordered us an ice cream cart." He said with a smile. "It should be up soon. Maybe we can watch a movie?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka couldn't do anything other than nod at that sexy smile. Those beautiful teeth, smooth lips, straight nose and large eyes… Tenzo was a work of art. His body, and Kakashi's as well, appeared to be chiseled from marble with how perfectly sculpted they were. They were obviously very proud of their bodies, and they had every reason to be. Iruka couldn't help but find himself lacking compared to them. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>fat. In any way, shape, or form. He even had a bit of muscle definition. But he wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>built</span>
  </em>
  <span> like they were. Iruka didn't look like he could either snap your neck or give you one hell of a workout in bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The two men he followed into the living room absolutely </span>
  <em>
    <span>defined </span>
  </em>
  <span>sex appeal. In fact, it should be </span>
  <em>
    <span>illegal </span>
  </em>
  <span>for two people of their caliber to be in the same room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The ice cream showed up, and Iruka was in awe. There were five flavors, at least ten different syrups and too many toppings for Iruka to bother counting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He happily made himself a large bowl alongside the other two men, and plopped down on the couch in front of the tv. Kakashi sat to his left, and Tenzo to his right. Sandwiched comfortably between the two, Iruka felt more secure than he had in ages. These two could protect him. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Would </span>
  </em>
  <span>protect him. And with Tenzo's muscular arm firmly wrapped around his shoulders as they watched probably the most ridiculous romantic comedy in existence, he felt like he probably couldn't be much happier, either. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In case the process wasn't clear on the Anbu child soldier program:</p><p>You start out in Root, going through extensive training and taking on missions for younger kids. They also do a lot of experimentation on the children there, injecting them with new substances in an effort to build them into the perfect soldier.<br/>Supervisors include: Danzo, Orochimaru</p><p>At 13, you are transferred to the main branch of the program. Less training, more missions, more danger, and new supervisors.<br/>Supervisors include: Hiruzen, Jiraiya</p><p>At 20, you are officially "retrained" and sent to mix in with the general population in a normal branch of the military.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next day was Monday, but Iruka wasn't supposed to start at the gym until Wednesday. He spent most of the day hanging around the penthouse, and was a bit surprised when Tenzo asked him to dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, we can go to dinner." Iruka answered enthusiastically. "Where do you guys want to go?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo flashed one of those little half smiles, where the left side of his mouth tilted up adorably. "Actually, I was thinking that just you and I could have dinner." He answered smoothly, stepping forward to run his fingers along Iruka's forearm and tilting his head a bit. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka melted. This man was making his heart flutter dangerously, and he couldn't get enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I'd love to have dinner with you </span>
  </em>
  <span>is what he wanted to say, but all that came out was an unexpected squeak as he nodded his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo didn't seem to be bothered by it, chuckling as Iruka's face flushed bright red. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi had loaned Iruka a fancy dress shirt (Iruka had slacks from his teaching job) and didn't seem the least bit bothered by Tenzo taking him to dinner. If anything, the man seemed </span>
  <em>
    <span>excited</span>
  </em>
  <span> about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo drove the BMW, and now Iruka wasn't sure exactly who owned the car. Either way, the seats were warm and Tenzo drove smoothly up to a fancy looking restaurant where he tossed the keys to a valet that appeared to recognize him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The restaurant, named Kiri, was </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and there was a long line waiting to get inside. Tenzo moved around the car with a kind of liquid grace that Iruka couldn't hope to achieve in his dreams. As he walked behind the man, his attention was drawn down to how perfectly shaped his ass was in those black slacks. Iruka was in a trance, watching Tenzo as he walked, and almost running straight into him when he stopped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka looked up, Tenzo was smirking at him knowingly. They had jumped past the line, walking up the side, straight to the podium as everyone watched them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The androgynous person behind the counter smiled warmly at Tenzo. "Mr. Hatake, your table is ready." They said, turning quickly and leading them inside. The young person was very pretty, with long black hair and wonderful eyes… but Iruka couldn't tell if it was a male or female for the life of him. They were seated at a table by a corner, one that looked fairly sought after. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they were handed the menu, Tenzo smiled at the person. "Thank you, Haku."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anytime. Is the Captain not dining tonight?" They asked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "No. Just me and Iruka tonight." He replied warmly, gesturing to the younger man. The host greeted him with a short bow, before turning back to Tenzo. "I'll let the chef know you've arrived." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was almost a little put off that they had a table ready for them. Tenzo had made a reservation? It seemed a little presumptuous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You had a reservation already?" Iruka asked, trying hard to keep his voice level. Tenzo noticed the change immediately, folding his menu up and interlocking his fingers on the table. "No." He said with a bright smile. "We know the chef. He owns the place. Kakashi called him personally after we left to tell him we would be coming. They cleared this table specifically for us." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's jaw dropped a little, and then he remembered the host calling Kakashi "Captain." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why </span>
  <em>
    <span>this</span>
  </em>
  <span> table?" He asked slowly, trying to decide what to ask first. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo thought for a moment, his eyes clear and perceptive as he looked Iruka over. "Because from where I'm sitting, I can see the bathroom doors, the door to the kitchen, the front door, and my back is against the wall." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's brows furrowed, still a bit confused. Tenzo just shrugged. "Old habits die hard." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was distracted by Tenzo's bright smile, and completely forgot all of his questions as he picked up his menu. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Haku came and retrieved their order, Iruka remembered that he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>many things to ask. He pursed his lips, and Tenzo watched him as he sifted through the thoughts in his head. "So… do you know </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>in this city?" Iruka decided to start with, only to be surprised by a deep chuckle from across the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Iruka asked self-consciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled softly at him. "Couldn't decide how to ask? I know you want to. I'll start for you. What do you know about Anko's time in the service?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka raised his eyebrows. "Uh… </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing</span>
  </em>
  <span>, actually. She always just says that it's classified."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo huffed a laugh. "That's because it is. In fact, before I discuss anything with you, I need to impress upon you the severity of what I am prepared to tell you. </span>
  <em>
    <span>None </span>
  </em>
  <span>of this can be discussed with </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>else. You may ask Kakashi and I questions, if I can't manage to answer all of them tonight."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's eyes were dead serious as he watched Iruka mull over the situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka met his gaze, determination crossing his features. "Okay. I can keep it to myself. I appreciate you trusting me with this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled once again. "Well… we like you, Iruka, and we're </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoping </span>
  </em>
  <span>you plan on sticking around for a while." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For the first time, Iruka saw a bit of uncertainty in Tenzo's eyes. The confident man was finally faltering at the thought of Iruka taking off. He laughed a little. "Don't worry, Tenzo. Even if I move out, I think we'll be seeing each other </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite</span>
  </em>
  <span> often."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That brought that lovely smile back to Tenzo's face, and he spoke again. "After Haku drops off our food, you may ask anything you wish." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seconds after the statement, Haku popped up next to Iruka, startling him a bit since they seemingly came out of nowhere. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tenzo, please call me if there is anything not to your liking." They spoke with a smile before walking away silently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka stared after them, wondering how the hell they could walk so quiet when everyone else seemed to be so loud. He turned back to Tenzo, who already had a mouthful of food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"So… you're retired? No offense… but aren't people who retire much older?" Iruka asked cautiously. He didn't want to offend the man if he happened to have his age wrong. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's true. I'm only 25. We were offered early retirement because the program we were part of was disbanded." Tenzo answered easily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How long have you been retired for?" Iruka asked casually, smiling up until he heard the answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"8 years." Tenzo answered, watching Iruka's reaction closely. The ex-teacher simply blinked for a moment, redoing the math in his head over and over again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You were… </span>
  <em>
    <span>17</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Iruka asked slowly, his brows furrowed. "Isn't that too young to enlist? You must not have been in very long."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo set his fork down for a moment. "Iruka… I just want to let you know that you are the only person we've ever told about this. Kakashi and I… we decided to share this with you because we believe you won't think poorly of us for our past life experiences."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka listened carefully, knowing Tenzo was going to answer the question. Of course he wouldn't judge them for their past, just as he hoped they wouldn't judge him for his time with Mizuki.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. I was 17 when I retired. We were part of a child soldier program. We were all brought in at different ages. You start in a separate program called 'Root'. There, they train you, turn you into a machine, so to speak. You also went on missions to help assist the war effort. They perform physical, psychological, and medical experiments during that stage… because the belief was that younger bodies would take to it better. Once you turned 13, you graduated out of Root and into the base operation of the Anbu child soldier program. You were assigned a platoon, with around 10 soldiers each, and given a captain. You were sent on missions into enemy territories. They booted you out of the program entirely when you turn 20. They reprogrammed you, so to speak, and sent you off to join the others. The entire program was shut down due to the illegality of it all." Tenzo spoke softly, just loud enough for Iruka to hear, and he found he couldn't look away. It was all so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>horrible.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Wh… when were you and Kakashi enlisted?" Iruka asked hesitantly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo took another bite of his food before answering. "Kakashi was brought in when he was 5, after his father died. Haku… was brought when he was 9. The chef here, Zabuza, was taken in when he was 6. Anko and Yugao were both brought in when they were 10. Sai… Sai was brought in at age 4 when he was discovered in a group home. The other two members of our team were brought in at ages 7 and 11." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And you?" Iruka asked, unshed tears in his eyes thinking about Kakashi at five years old being subjected to something so awful. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo paused, and Iruka knew it would be bad. "I was the youngest ever taken into the program. I was two." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka almost choked on his food. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Two?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nodded. "Iruka… there's something you need to understand. </span>
  <em>
    <span>All of us</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Anko included, have been through hell. We were sent to do terrible things… but it was our mission. It's what we were trained to do. I made my first kill at four years old." Tenzo explained, and Iruka's jaw dropped. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I hope none of this changes your opinion of me." Tenzo said quietly. "Or anyone else." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka reached across the table quickly, taking Tenzo's warm hand in his own. "Of course not. I understand that none of it is your fault." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled softly. "Anyway, our entire platoon moved here to Konoha. It was sort of a group decision. For almost all of us, we're the only family we've got. And we grew up watching each other's backs… that kind of trust just doesn't go away. Anko was the only one I thought had moved away… but it seems she's back in town." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"She moved back about a year ago. She worked with me at the school." Iruka replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled at that. "Hard to imagine Anko working around kids." He said with a chuckle. "Though I suppose she was only 16 when we retired. Our crew had been together for two years with the same people. We were all very close. Haku, Sai, and Itachi were all 15 when the program was dissolved. Yugao and Anko were 16. Shisui and myself were 17, Zabuza was 18, and Kakashi was 19. He was two weeks away from being pulled away for good." Tenzo explained, a far away look in his eyes as he reminisced. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"If the program ran for so long, how come it was suddenly disbanded?" Iruka asked curiously, continuing to eat his delicious food. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo grimaced a little, and Iruka wondered if he shouldn't have asked that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"There was… an incident. The supervisor over the Root program was killed." Tenzo said slowly. Iruka just waited, allowing Tenzo to collect his thoughts before he continued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The supervisor… Danzo… he wasn't a good person. He uh… he had certain… </span>
  <em>
    <span>vices.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Tenzo started. "He always had a favorite soldier from the Root program. If you were the favorite… certain things went on with him behind closed doors." Tenzo said. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka breathed loudly, but whispered the next question. "Was he a… </span>
  <em>
    <span>child molester?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nodded. "Kakashi's last year in Root… </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>was the favorite. Once he was gone… I was. Kakashi saw what was happening. Not that he could do anything about it. When I was about to turn 13, Danzo tried to falsify my papers so he could keep me in Root… with </span>
  <em>
    <span>him.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka watched as Tenzo grew visibly uncomfortable. He reached across the table again and grabbed his hand. "You don't have to tell me </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything</span>
  </em>
  <span>, if you don't want." He said calmly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo steeled himself, but kept ahold of Iruka's hand. "No… I </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to tell you this part. Danzo… he messed with my head real bad. It took Kakashi a </span>
  <em>
    <span>month</span>
  </em>
  <span> to get me out of Root after I turned 13. Only because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused </span>
  </em>
  <span>to help him. I thought that it was my </span>
  <em>
    <span>duty </span>
  </em>
  <span>to stay there if Danzo wanted me to. He had manipulated me to the point that I believed what he was doing made me </span>
  <em>
    <span>special</span>
  </em>
  <span>. There was a point in time where he had Kakashi believing it too."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka finally understood why these two men were so adamant about helping him. They understood </span>
  <em>
    <span>completely </span>
  </em>
  <span>what it was like to be manipulated by someone else. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kakashi's </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a weak person. He never has been. You don't </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be weak for someone to manipulate you. I wanted to tell you our story for that exact reason. You're not alone, Iruka." Tenzo said with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled back softly, but frowned when he realized Tenzo had left out part of the story. "Wait… so what happened to Danzo?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo averted his eyes for a moment. "Well… we had found out that he had plans to move me back under his command after Kakashi turned 20. He wanted me to serve under him as a sort of go-to guy between him and his younger soldiers. Kakashi knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>immediately</span>
  </em>
  <span> what he was up to. He… well… the problem was </span>
  <em>
    <span>taken care of</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Danzo was found in his office with his throat cut. The whole ordeal brought a lot of attention to the program, and we were shut down." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka didn't know what to say. Tenzo either </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kakashi had done it, or heavily suspected it. The timing of it all… was too convenient. He couldn't honestly say that he wouldn't have done the same thing if he was in Kakashi's position. The two </span>
  <em>
    <span>clearly </span>
  </em>
  <span>cared about each other. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men were about done with their food, and Tenzo held up a hand. Iruka understood they were supposed to stop talking about it, at least for the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Zabuza." Tenzo said warmly, looking over Iruka's shoulder. The man jumped, shocked at how close the chef suddenly was to him. Was the entire crew </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>quiet? Had he not noticed how silent Kakashi and Tenzo were when they moved?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tenzo. Nice to see you again." The tall, bulky man replied. Iruka could swear that the man had pointed teeth, but felt it would be rude to stare. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The food was fantastic, Zabuza. I can't believe something this good was made by </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Tenzo said with a laugh, and the tall man laughed with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Who's your friend?" Zabuza said politely, looking down at Iruka.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm I-Iruka." He replied, holding his hand out and cursing his nervousness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Zabuza." He replied. "It's nice to meet you." Zabuza turned back to Tenzo. "Give my regards to Hatake, alright? Tell him one of these days I'll challenge him in the ring!" The man said with a laugh, excusing himself to go back to the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was confused, and frowned at the table.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's wrong?" Tenzo asked timidly, probably worried about all of the information he had given him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka shook himself out of his stupor. "Oh… nothing. I just thought Hatake was </span>
  <em>
    <span>your </span>
  </em>
  <span>last name, since Haku called you that earlier." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo tilted his head and smiled. "It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is </span>
  </em>
  <span>my name. When I was discharged, I didn't have a last name because I was picked up straight from the foster system. Kakashi offered to let me use his. It seemed appropriate. Without him, I would be a completely different person."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, and followed Tenzo out of the restaurant. Haku waved at them as they left, and Iruka couldn't help but notice that they hadn't paid for their food. Tenzo didn't pay the valet fee either, he just tipped the man and drove away. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You don't have to pay for food when you eat there?" Iruka asked quietly, hoping he wasn't asking too many questions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "Well, I used to </span>
  <em>
    <span>try </span>
  </em>
  <span>to pay for my food there… but Zabuza and Haku are stubborn. They say they owe us a life-debt, and plan on paying for it with free food." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A life debt?" Iruka asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yep. Kakashi and I pulled them out of a tough spot on a mission. Haku would have bled to death, and Zabuza would have too if we hadn't found them and drug them back to base camp. The medics there barely managed to save Zabuza's arms." Tenzo explained, turning into the parking garage. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka got lost in his thoughts. How many horrible things had Kakashi and Tenzo seen? Before he knew it, they were in the elevator. Tenzo pushed the button and turned to look at him, stepping closer. "Iruka… thank you for listening and not freaking out about our past." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka put his arms around Tenzo's waist and pulled him in for a hug. Instead, Tenzo tilted his head down and caught Iruka's mouth with his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was an instant reaction. Iruka held Tenzo against him, opening his mouth and allowing the wonderful tasting man access to whatever he wanted. That hot, muscular body pressed up against his, and he moaned as the elevator doors opened. Tenzo backed him out of the elevator, never releasing him from his grasp, and Iruka felt his back press up against the wall of the hallway. Tenzo's leg was between Iruka's, and all he could think about was grinding himself against that hard body. Instead, he ran his hands around frantically, feeling every muscled bit of skin through the tight dress shirt Tenzo was wearing, while the other man dragged his fingers through Iruka's hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The moment was broken when Tenzo pulled away and connected their foreheads, breathing heavily and staring at Iruka's lips. "We really should get inside." He murmured before leaning in to get one last kiss. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They entered the penthouse, and Kakashi immediately smirked at them from where he was laying on the couch with a book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Looks like you two have been having </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Kakashi said with a wink. Iruka immediately flushed, hands going up to his hair to fix the ponytail Tenzo had ruined. Then, he realized that he wasn't even sure if he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>supposed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to be kissing Tenzo. Did that bother Kakashi? Would he be upset? Apparently, those thoughts flashed across his face.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Maa, don't be so upset, Iruka. You can make it up to me tomorrow. </span>
  <em>
    <span>We </span>
  </em>
  <span>can go out and leave </span>
  <em>
    <span>Tenzo</span>
  </em>
  <span> at home." Kakashi drawled, smirking at the blushing man over his book. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled, and walked over to the couch. He took one look at Kakashi before plopping down right on top of the man's midsection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka watched with amusement as Kakashi squirmed under him and Tenzo giggled incessantly. Kakashi finally managed to knock Tenzo down to the floor, and sat up with his eyes narrowed. "I'll get you back for that one, Tenzo." Kakashi murmured as he stood up from the couch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked at Kakashi, and suddenly he saw a 5 year old boy, soaked in blood and scared. The thought hit his heart like a ton of bricks, and the tears built in his eyes instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka?" Tenzo asked worriedly as he jumped up from the floor. Kakashi got to him first, placing his hands around Iruka's jaw and lifting his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?" He asked, rubbing his thumbs along the tan skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It hit him again suddenly. It was the sad look in Kakashi's eyes that got him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just…" Iruka tried to speak as his voice cut out. He spoke in a barely audible whisper. "You both just went through </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>much." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi tilted his head, still worried about Iruka. "That was a long time ago, Iruka. We're both fine." He whispered, moving his hand up Iruka's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka looked to the side, Tenzo was smiling brightly at him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What?" Iruka asked self-consciously.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "You're just so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>genuinely nice</span>
  </em>
  <span>. It's refreshing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka let himself be pulled into Kakashi's chest, suddenly noticing how cold Kakashi was compared to Tenzo, who was practically a human furnace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're freezing." Iruka commented, rubbing his hands up Kakashi's sides in an attempt to warm him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I know." Kakashi said quietly. "It's… a side effect." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Side effect?" Iruka asked, his hands halting in their movement.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"From Root. Serum 2763B. For weather resistance. I was one of twenty children they tested it on. I was 11 at the time. I've had a hard time warming up since then." Kakashi spoke quietly, almost like he was embarrassed by his condition. "You get used to it after a month or so." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed, still concerned about the man even after he said he was fine. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How could he be fine? </span>
  </em>
  <span>After everything that had happened? After all the permanent damage that had been done? He pulled Kakashi's face into his neck, somehow still unprepared for how cold his nose would be. He managed not to react, even when the man nuzzled into his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmm. So warm." Kakashi mumbled, chilled lips moving against Iruka's skin. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>This</span>
  </em>
  <span> is why Tenzo always ends up in my bed. Well… besides the more </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun </span>
  </em>
  <span>parts of life. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He </span>
  </em>
  <span>got the good serum."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked to Tenzo for confirmation, and the man shrugged. "Serum 2763M. I stay warm, no matter what. They had to discontinue it, though. It had its own share of problems." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What kind of problems?" Iruka asked, still pressed up against the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled softly. "Well… it worked in 35% of us. The others… they died a very painful, very quick death. Me and Shisui both made it through that one somehow." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful.</span>
  </em>
  <span> I can't believe anyone would do those kinds of things to children." Iruka commented. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi dragged his nose up Iruka's neck, leaving goosebumps in his wake until he was eye level with him. Their lips were so close, and Iruka was tempted to cross that distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We weren't children. Not really." Kakashi spoke softly. "What kind of child </span>
  <em>
    <span>kills </span>
  </em>
  <span>people? By the time I turned ten, I had killed 100 people. By the time Anbu was dissolved? </span>
  <em>
    <span>Thousands</span>
  </em>
  <span>. We were soldiers. We </span>
  <em>
    <span>still are</span>
  </em>
  <span>... at heart. That training will likely never go away." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's words sent a shiver down Iruka's spine. The low rumble of the man's voice sent heat to his stomach. Why was the danger this man was exuding so </span>
  <em>
    <span>damn sexy? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why was his every movement enough to keep Iruka's heart from beating normally? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's eyes watched him carefully, watching for the disgust or fear or whatever else he expected to kick in. Instead, Iruka shocked him by closing the distance and kissing him passionately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was clearly shocked, but kissed back eagerly after a moment, moving his hands down his chest to play with the tanned skin under the bottom of Iruka's shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Kakashi pulled away, he smiled brightly. "I gotta say… I didn't expect </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>reaction."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed, pulling away to rub the scar on his nose nervously. "...yeah. Sorry about that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not." Kakashi answered smoothly. "You taste wonderful." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed again, and tried to ignore the heat clawing its way down his stomach. It was much too soon for him to be thinking about sleeping with anyone else. And honestly, he wasn't even sure if he could choose one of these two over the other, and he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>ready for a threesome. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi smiled knowingly at him. "We should probably get to bed. It's getting late." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed, relief flowing through him. These two were so understanding. They would let him go at his own pace, and that is what he desperately needed. Kakashi leaned in again, and kissed his forehead. The older man headed straight to his room after whispering Goodnight. Tenzo followed him after wrapping Iruka up and placing his </span>
  <em>
    <span>own </span>
  </em>
  <span>kiss on Iruka's forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sprawled out on Tenzo's bed. As much as his brain knew that he needed time… his body hadn't gotten the memo. He was achingly hard, his dress pants much too confining. They were tossed to the floor, and Iruka almost sighed in relief as he palmed his erection through his underwear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't enough. Iruka wanted those men </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>badly, so he took himself in hand and imagined those two bodies rubbing up on him, one freezing him and the other heating him up. He had to imagine that the opposite body temperatures would have a wonderful effect. He thought about Tenzo's wonderfully tight ass, round and solid muscle beneath those slacks. Then, he thought about Kakashi's pale chest, and the muscular arm covered in the large wolf tattoo. It was beautiful. It featured several wolves, circling his arm and howling at the moon on his shoulder. The colors were wonderful, and the muscles played beneath it beautifully. Iruka wanted to lick that skin, and any other skin Kakashi would allow him to. He wanted to examine those scars that he could only barely see when the other man was shirtless. The thought of being with both of them was enough to send Iruka over the edge, spilling out his frustrations into his own hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe now I can sleep.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Iruka thought after he finally found something to clean himself up with. His eyes shut quickly, and he was swept into a wonderful dream featuring two strong bodies. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kakashi and Iruka go on a date... and there's also a considerable chunk of smut 😉</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The next night, Iruka went out with Kakashi. His idea of a date must've been a lot different than Tenzo's, because he had loaned Iruka an body hugging orange tank top and some excessively tight black shorts. When he walked out of Tenzo's room, he was greeted by dark brown eyes. Tenzo watched him much like a wolf would watch a rabbit, his dark eyes gleaming with hunger. Iruka wished the other man was coming on the date too, but Kakashi insisted they could go again with Tenzo later. Kakashi was dressed in a mesh tank top, and a similar pair of shorts. Iruka almost started drooling at the sight of him. The shirt hugged his body tightly, showing off every muscle on his upper body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo walked up to the other man, rubbing his hands along Kakashi's waist appreciatively. "Mmm. You sure you don't want to stay in?" He said with a sly smile. Kakashi chuckled. "Don't worry… we'll be back " </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nodded, and leaned in to kiss the man. Iruka felt like a voyeur, but he wouldn't look away unless they asked him to. The two of them were too intensely attractive for Iruka to </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to, and he smiled brightly when Tenzo came over to him too. The man's warm hands played along his hips, and that smooth smile sent goosebumps running across his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Would you like a goodbye kiss, Iruka?" The man drawled, tilting his head and smiling at the effect he had on the younger man. Iruka simply nodded, not sure he could speak even if he wanted to as Tenzo leaned closer. Their lips pressed together, and Iruka could swear there were fireworks going off in the distance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Tenzo was gone, and they were back in Kakashi's car. This time, Iruka noticed when Kakashi automatically turned on the seat warmers. Maybe it was a habit of his, since he was always so cold. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka frowned for a moment. "Aren't you going to be freezing in that outfit?" He asked worriedly, reaching over to grab the cold hand that was left by the man's side. Kakashi chuckled, smiling over at him momentarily before turning to watch the road again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes… but I plan on warming up a bit. Don't worry." Kakashi answered, rubbing Iruka's hand with his thumb. "Do you like to dance, Iruka?" Kakashi asked, wagging his eyebrows. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed, shaking his head at the older man. "I do. But I haven't gone in 5 years." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka used to frequent all sorts of clubs. In fact, that was where he had first met Mizuki. He wasn't the first man Iruka had brought home after a night of tipsy dancing, but the difference was that Mizuki didn't take off in the morning. He had hung around the entire next day, charming young Iruka with his fake personality. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi looked like he wanted to ask him something, but kept his mouth shut. Iruka decided that they had shared plenty with him, and maybe he could share more of himself than he already had. "Mizuki didn't like me going out. I met him at a club originally, so I'm guessing he didn't want me to meet anyone else." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You met him at a club?" Kakashi asked, one eyebrow raised. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, but realized Kakashi was still watching the road. "Yes. I used to go to clubs every weekend. I brought home my fair share of people… but obviously Mizuki was the last one." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi hummed, pulling into a parking lot for a fancy looking club. The line was all the way around the side, and Iruka worried if they would even get in. "It's a little busy… maybe we'll have better luck getting in some place else." He commented, turning to see Kakashi giving him a flat look. He rolled his eyes. "Let me guess… another person that's going to refer to you as 'Captain'?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled. "No, no. Nothing like that. But the bouncer boxes with Tenzo and I." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka shook his head, laughing as he stepped out of the car. Apparently, these two were connected to just about everyone in the city. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were two bouncers. One was a younger kid. He looked a bit chunky, but Iruka could tell it wasn't just fat. He looked like he could definitely throw people out if needed. The other man was much more impressive. He was tall, burly, and had a well-shaped beard. He stood with his arms crossed, radiating a no-nonsense attitude as his brown eyes stared over the crowd. His gaze softened when he saw them coming. "Kakashi! Back again? It's been a few days." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, and Iruka was a bit surprised that Kakashi was a regular here. At first glance, he didn't seem like the dancing type. Military man… yes. That wasn't even close to a surprise. But a regular on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>clearly </span>
  </em>
  <span>gay club's dancefloor? A bit shocking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I've had company recently, but I'm back." Kakashi answered, motioning to the brunette. "This is Iruka. He's my plus one for the night." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man beamed at him, extending his hand and introducing himself. "I'm Asuma. Nice to meet you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How's Kurenai doing? She's got to be pretty close to due now, right?" Kakashi asked, slinging an arm around Iruka's shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Asuma smiled even brighter than before. "One month left to go, and then little Mirai will be here. I expect to see you and Tenzo stopping by to meet her." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry, I will send Tenzo over." Kakashi said teasingly, earning a mock glare from the tall man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ha, ha." Asuma said sarcastically. "Anyway, go on in. Have some fun." He moved the velvet rope behind him, and let the two of them in. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The club was the biggest one Iruka had ever been in. There were two different levels on the dancefloor, and a large roped off area with the bar in it. The music was loud, the lights were colorful, and the dancefloor was packed with people. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi grabbed his hand and led him through the crowd, taking him up to the bar. The older man leaned in close to speak into his ear. The music was much quieter over by the bar, so Iruka assumed the man just wanted to be close. "What would you like to drink?" He asked, trailing his fingers down Iruka's arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled, reaching his own hands out to Kakashi's sides. "I'll just take a Cosmo." He replied with a smile. Kakashi turned just as the young bartender walked over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What'll we have today, Kakashi?" The brunette asked lazily. Iruka had to chuckle to himself because the man really knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I thought you'd be excited to see me, Shikamaru. I'm your best customer!" Kakashi teased, and the kid just shot him a flat look. It was amusing to see someone completely immune to Kakashi's charms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mmhmm. You sure are." He answered sarcastically. "Now what do you want?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"2 Cosmos." Kakashi ordered, holding up two fingers. Iruka was a bit shocked that Kakashi wanted such a fruity drink at first, but then he remembered how the man practically lived off of fruit smoothies. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and grumpily shuffled some bottles around until he found the things he was looking for. Kakashi huffed a laugh, wiggling his eyebrows at Iruka as he waited. The silver-haired man grabbed his arms and pulled him in, leaning against the bar as Iruka willingly pressed up against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shikamaru was fast, and had four drinks up on the bar in no time. Iruka raised an eyebrow. He was fairly certain Kakashi had only ordered two. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know me so well." Kakashi said to the young bartender, who just glared at him, and grabbed the first drink to dump it down his throat. Iruka watched him owlishly as he chugged a second one too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Kakashi looked at him again, the man shrugged. "I can't dance with a drink in my hand, but alcohol warms me up. Do you want two? Or just the one?" Kakashi asked with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed. "I can keep up." He announced, downing both drinks in succession. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka almost regretted saying he could keep up once Kakashi got him out on the dancefloor. The music had a perfect beat, and Kakashi was as graceful as he was sexy when he moved. Every single movement he made was calculated, precise, and yet he didn't look out of place here. Iruka could only hope that he looked as wonderful as that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka knew he could dance, and was encouraged by the way Kakashi's eyes stayed locked on him, roving over his body in the tight clothes he had borrowed. Iruka was entranced too, watching Kakashi's muscles ripple under the mesh shirt as his body moved to the beat. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>How long was his brain planning on making him wait?</span>
  </em>
  <span> At this rate, he was going to go insane. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They danced closely, grinding on each other, Kakashi's lukewarm hands tracing patterns over his skin and up under his shirt. It was addicting. All of it. Iruka lost himself in the beat, allowing Kakashi to lead him around and touch him in ways that set his skin on fire. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka continued to dance as Kakashi left for another drink, eagerly awaiting the return of his date. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another man walked in front of him, attempting to dance with Iruka as if he could simply slide into Kakashi's place. He appeared to be a bit younger, with long brown hair held back in a ponytail and large pale eyes. His clothing was minimal, and he moved into Iruka's space as if he belonged there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry." Iruka shouted over the beat. "I'm waiting for my friend." He finished as he backed away, dancing halted for the moment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Clearly he isn't that great if he's left you here all alone." The man said, completely full of himself. Iruka could tell this man thought very highly of himself, and thought he could have him just because he wanted him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm not interested." Iruka called out, turning away to head to the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thankfully, Kakashi was right there, eyes carefully trained on the younger man behind him. His body language spoke of danger, and Iruka couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"K-Kakashi. My apologies." The guy mumbled before turning tail and running. With the nuisance gone, Kakashi seemed to relax, resuming his place against Iruka's body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's hands were on his hips, they were dancing </span>
  <em>
    <span>dangerously </span>
  </em>
  <span>close to one another, and Kakashi's breath was fanning across the side of his neck and jaw. "Sorry it took me so long." The older man spoke in his ear, nosing along Iruka's skin and sending more shivers through his bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn't take it anymore. Iruka turned his head and claimed Kakashi's mouth, tasting fruity sweetness as the other man melted into the motion. They kissed and danced and touched each other until Iruka could hardly manage to keep himself from rubbing his junk on the man. He wanted him </span>
  <em>
    <span>badly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He wanted to tear that tank top right off of his body and lick every single one of those muscles that moved beneath it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi seemed to feel the same way, grabbing Iruka's wrist and leading him away from the dancefloor and back by the bar. They stopped by a side door, and Kakashi waved at Shikamaru before opening and entering it. Iruka was sure they were not supposed to be back here, but since the young bartender only rolled his eyes, he didn't argue. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The back of the club was a maze of hallways. Kakashi turned right at the first chance he got, and then left. They stopped suddenly, and iruka felt his back touching the wall as Kakashi's weight settled against him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Their mouths clashed together passionately, and Iruka's hands resumed their previous explorations of Kakashi's body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a moment, kakashi pulled back, breathless and panting. "Is this okay?" He asked, worry crossing his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka didn't respond with words. He pulled Kakashi in again to claim that wonderful mouth as the man chuckled into the kiss. Cold hands were under his tank top, causing his skin to tingle and goosebumps to form. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka lost the ability to breathe when the man started kissing down his neck to his collarbone, acting as if he wanted to taste every inch of skin Iruka had to offer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Kakashi had sunk down to his knees, fingers wrapped around the button on his shorts as he looked up. "May I?" He asked, his voice low and sultry. Iruka could only nod, his heart hammering in his chest and his cock threatening to rip a hole in the shorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Iruka could even comprehend the other man's swift movements, his erection was released and Kakashi looked like he was starving for it. His pupils were dilated, his breathing was rough, and Iruka thought he would come right then when those gray eyes locked on to his. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi didn't wait long. He completely swallowed all of Iruka in one swoop, running his tongue along the entire length as the younger man cried out into the quiet hallway. The man's skin may have been cold, but his mouth was warm and deliciously wet as he bobbed back and forth, pressing his tongue against the bottom as he went. Iruka moaned loudly, reaching out to tangle his fingers into soft silver hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moaned as if he got the same satisfaction that Iruka was getting, sending vibrations through to his very core. Iruka tried to keep his eyes open, to watch the glorious view that was Kakashi, on his knees and gazing up at him with lusty eyes, his cock stretching those wonderfully pale lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He couldn't hold himself back. He tried to warn the older man, but only ended up moaning as Kakashi sucked violently, pulling his orgasm from him. Even with the surprise release, Kakashi handled himself wonderfully, swallowing every bit of what Iruka had to offer and releasing him with a lewd 'pop'. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka let go of Kakashi's hair and rested his entire body weight against the wall, sinking down to the floor slowly where Kakashi still sat with a smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy shit." Iruka spoke between pants. "That was amazing. </span>
  <em>
    <span>You're </span>
  </em>
  <span>amazing." He made a conscious effort to tuck his spent cock back into his shorts, and was caught off guard when Kakashi's mouth attacked his again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't the first time Iruka had kissed someone with his own taste in their mouth, but something about it being </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi </span>
  </em>
  <span>was what made it so </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka moved his hands to unbutton the other man's shorts, but cold hands halted his movement quickly. He pulled back, a question on his lips. Kakashi smiled at him, and spoke first. "We'll get </span>
  <em>
    <span>me </span>
  </em>
  <span>next time. Okay?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka pursed his lips a little, but nodded. If Kakashi didn't want to be touched that way… then he could accept that. Part of him wondered if the older man was trying to take it slow for his sake. Maybe he didn't want to rush him into returning the favor so soon after being stuck in a clearly one-sided relationship. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His thoughts were knocked out of his head when pale lips clashed with his again. Kissing Kakashi was </span>
  <em>
    <span>something else</span>
  </em>
  <span>. The man had a way of telling a story with his tongue, of painting a beautiful picture in your mouth that made it hard to breathe afterwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka wanted </span>
  <em>
    <span>more. </span>
  </em>
  <span>But before he could, Kakashi pulled away and helped him off of the floor. "We'd better get back before Shikamaru sends Choji back here to throw us out." He said with a chuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Choji?" Iruka asked as he was led through the halls again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi hummed, smiling happily. "Yes. The big kid that's watching the door with Asuma."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. I see." Iruka said giddily, still coming down from his orgasm as they made it back by the bar. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed as Shikamaru eyed them judgementaly, but the boy didn't really seem to care all that much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They danced for another hour or so, inhaling a few more drinks a piece before Kakashi finally got out his phone and messaged someone. Iruka didn't want to pry, and assumed he was just checking in with Tenzo. They were both sweaty, giggly, and more than a little tipsy. When Kakashi suggested they started heading for the door, Iruka finally realized that neither of them were fit to drive. Still, the older man led him out towards the parking lot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey." Iruka spoke as softly as he could while buzzed. "I don't think you should be driving." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi looked back to him with a crooked smile, and waved him away with his free hand. "Maa, don't worry about it. I've got that covered." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's nervousness was eased when he spotted a familiar figure leaning against Kakashi's car. Tenzo smiled at both of them fondly, and Iruka finally figured out what Kakashi was doing on his phone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You guys look like you had fun." Tenzo said with a bright smile, opening the passenger door and letting Kakashi into the back. Iruka felt a little weird taking the front seat, but the other men both smiled at him reassuringly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When they were finally back at the penthouse, Iruka felt exhaustion crashing down on him. He hadn't gone dancing in </span>
  <em>
    <span>years,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and it showed. Both Kakashi and Tenzo kissed him goodnight, and he went straight to bed, barely managing to get out of the borrowed clothes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kakashi barely managed to walk into his bedroom before strong hands were gripping his sides. Tenzo growled softly up by his ear, and he felt the man's bulging erection pressed against his ass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He leaned back into the warm, familiar body behind him, laughing at Tenzo's control starting to slip. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kami… this outfit is too much." Tenzo murmured in his ear, the large hands flexing in the mesh tank top. Kakashi knew exactly what Tenzo wanted, and was thankfully in the mood to assist. "Better get rid of it then." Kakashi drawled, preparing for the whirlwind that was Tenzo to take hold of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was spun quickly, nimble fingers ripping the button off of his shorts as he was pushed back to the bed. Before he even landed, Tenzo had torn the front of the mesh shirt open, and already had the shorts down his legs. Kakashi loved when Tenzo was like this. When the younger man just needed to take control and lose himself to his primal instincts. Kakashi couldn't think of much else when Tenzo's mouth was closing over his nipple, and his hands frantically teased at his ribs and abs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't worried. He never was. Tenzo would never hurt him, not in a million years… but he would give Kakashi exactly what he needed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A warm hand covered his mouth before he could moan too loudly, and it only spurred Kakashi on more. He had been teased too much today, watching Iruka move that sexy tan body of his around on the dancefloor, and he tried to convey that to the man towering above him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It worked, and Tenzo released him to retrieve the lube. He returned quickly, never one to keep his captain waiting, and flipped Kakashi effortlessly onto his stomach. Years of following orders had taken its toll on the younger man, and Tenzo needed these moments where he was in control. Kakashi was the opposite. Since he was 14, people looked to him, </span>
  <em>
    <span>depended </span>
  </em>
  <span>on him with their very lives, and he craved for someone else to take the reigns. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi had always worked this way… ever since Kakashi was 18, and had come home from a mission shaking and desperate. Tenzo had taken care of him then, just as he did now, working Kakashi open with a practiced ease, biting and licking along his spine as pale fingers dug into the sheets. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi shoved his face down into the mattress, hiding his whimpers and moans as well as he could so Iruka wouldn't hear them across the hall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo hummed his appreciation. "Such a nice, tight ass."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moaned loudly, rocking back to fuck himself on Tenzo's thick fingers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you ready?" Tenzo asked, and all Kakashi could do was moan in response. The warmth of Tenzo's fingers slipped away, and he tried not to whimper at the loss. Tenzo lifted him by his hips, settling him on his knees with his head still lowered into the mattress. Kakashi spread his legs automatically, clearing the way for Tenzo to finally press his wonderful cock inside of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi fought to keep from crying out as Tenzo pushed his way in slowly, stretching him deliciously. "Ah… </span>
  <em>
    <span>fuck</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Tenzo."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Such a tight little ass… made perfectly for </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Tenzo growled, pulling out almost all the way, just to force himself back in, pressing Kakashi farther forward into the mattress. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man set a punishing pace, using his grip on the pale waist to pull Kakashi backwards into his thrusts. Tenzo's aim was exceptionally accurate, pressing his cock straight into his prostate on every thrust. Kakashi moaned loudly, if Iruka was even awake, it was too late to keep him from hearing anyway, so Kakashi gave up on that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A strong hand fisted in his hair, pulling him up from the mattress to lean back against his partner. Tenzo's free hand roamed his torso, trailing over muscles and tight skin until he settled over Kakashi's neglected erection. Tenzo fucked into him hard, the sound of skin slapping against skin filling the room, along with the long moans Kakashi couldn't manage to hold in anymore. But with one of Tenzo's hands still fisted in his hair, the other fisted around his dick, and the hot mouth biting down on his throat, he didn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to. He cried out sharply as Tenzo brought him over the edge, pounding into his prostate through his orgasm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo wouldn't finish just yet. He liked to prove he was the one in control by continuing to take from Kakashi after he was already spent. He didn't mind. He enjoyed being thoroughly fucked into the mattress to the point where it hurt to walk the next morning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo pushed him forward, shoving his face back down into the mattress and continuing to pound away until he had his fun, filling Kakashi to the brim with his warm seed and collapsing next to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once that was done, they cuddled together, exchanging soft kisses and touches until the stickiness started to bother them enough to worry about cleaning up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to buy you another one of those mesh shirts. I liked that one </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Tenzo said with a smile as he pulled the covers over them both. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, his body exhausted after the dancing and the rough sex. "I could tell." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nuzzled into his neck, twisting their legs and arms together until they found a suitable position. Kakashi never imagined he would be a cuddler. Yet here he was, tangled up in a mess of sweaty skin with the man he loved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The combination of Tenzo's insane warmth, the soft kisses to his neck, and his exhaustion pulled his eyelids shut quickly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka woke with a loud yawn. He had been out like a light as soon as his body hit the mattress. At least he hadn't gotten drunk enough to have a hangover for his first day of work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a while he had been unsure of what to wear. After all, it was a </span>
  <em>
    <span>gym</span>
  </em>
  <span>. In the end, he decided on a simple polo and some cargo shorts. If there </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>a dress code there, he hadn't noticed, and he could always come home on lunch to change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was in a fantastic mood when Iruka wandered out into the front room. He had made a delicious looking breakfast of eggs and bacon for Iruka's first day of work. He appreciated it, and made sure to show it by walking up behind him and hugging him around the shoulders. Kakashi's bare skin felt wonderful, even as cold as it was. How the man could still wander around shirtless was a mystery. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Iruka sat down to eat, Tenzo came out from his shower, wandering around confidently in his underwear. Iruka's brown eyes roamed over his form, taking in the shapely curves and muscles one last time before going to work. Tenzo meandered over to the older man, his fingers tracing mindlessly around several small bruises in Kakashi's skin. Iruka hadn't noticed them last night, and blushed brightly thinking about the two of them going at it after he went to bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe one day I can be part of that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka almost choked on his food when he realized what he had been thinking… and now he was coughing and blushing while the other two watched him with concern. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo patted him on the back softly, rubbing circles between his shoulders afterwards. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?" Kakashi asked, refilling Iruka's glass of orange juice. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. Sorry." Iruka mumbled. "Just hiccuped or something." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled. "Be careful. I don't want to have to give you the heimlich maneuver." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's thought turned filthy again as he pictured Tenzo behind him, much like he had obviously been with Kakashi last night. The finger bruises littering his hips drew Iruka's eyes again, but this time, Tenzo noticed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo flushed red and appeared to be very uncomfortable. Iruka realized once again that he was thinking about his relationship with Mizuki. He decided to ease the tension. "Looks like you two had some </span>
  <em>
    <span>fun </span>
  </em>
  <span>last night." He said loudly, winking at Tenzo suggestively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo relaxed instantly, chuckling as Kakashi took a turn blushing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked at his watch and realized it was time to go, giving rushed goodbye kisses to each of them and waving off their offers to walk him to work. It was only two blocks after all. Plus, it would probably be good for him to keep his mind </span>
  <em>
    <span>away </span>
  </em>
  <span>from all of his dirty thoughts before he got there. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry this update took so long! I've overloaded myself with stories like a jackass.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The walk to the gym took less than five minutes. The door was already unlocked when Iruka got there, even though the gym itself wouldn't open for another twenty minutes. Immediately, Iruka noticed a tall, black haired man waiting by the desk. He appeared well-built, wearing a professional red polo shirt and black slacks. As soon as he caught sight of Iruka, he smiled and walked over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You must be Mr. Umino?" He asked, holding out a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." He introduced himself, shaking the man's hand strongly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm Obito. I'm the assistant manager here. I'm glad you're here, I was getting tired of filling in at the desk." He said happily, releasing Iruka's hand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, I'm thankful for the job, and I'm glad I could help." Iruka said with a smile. Obito seemed like a genuinely nice guy. He had one of those bright smiles that made his eyes light up and was infectious. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to give you a quick rundown of what you need to do. It really isn't too difficult, and if you have any questions you can always ask." Obito spoke professionally, leading Iruka over to the desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man explained everything in great detail, making sure Iruka understood everything before disappearing into the back. The job seemed easy enough, and Iruka was confident he could do well here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That confidence went right out the window as soon as the first person walked over to the desk. He was an excessively large man, his bulk hardly contained in the shirt he was wearing. He had a scowl on his face that immediately set him on edge and reminded him of Mizuki.  </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>I can do this. I can do this.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka tried to keep his breathing easy as the man started to speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need to renew my membership." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka did his best to smile at the man. "Alright. May I have your name?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ichiga Raigo."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, typing in the name and taking the man's card. Despite his angry appearance, the man didn't say anything rude to Iruka. At all. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not every person that's angry is out to get you. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The man even thanked Iruka when they were done, walking back towards the weightlifting area silently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka let out a relaxed breath, but was startled when a voice rang out next to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How'd your first customer experience go?" A younger man who looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>shockingly </span>
  </em>
  <span>similar to Gai asked him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-oh. It was fine. Thank you." Iruka replied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I apologize. I didn't mean to sneak up on you. My name is Lee. I'm Gai-sensei's apprentice." The man announced, holding out a hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hello, Lee. I'm Iruka." The brunette replied, smiling and shaking his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I hope Obito didn't give you a hard time about staying with Kakashi. He is a bit bitter about his defeat last Friday." Lee spoke softly, leaning against the desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed a bit. "No, he actually didn't mention it." Somehow he wasn't surprised that Obito was a boxer too. He seemed built enough for it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad. Obito is a very nice guy… but gets a bit competitive when it comes to Kakashi. He's been trying to beat him for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Lee announced, seemingly making himself comfortable to hang around for a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Overall, Iruka's first days at the desk went well. Lee and Obito both stopped in at random intervals to check on him, and he met a variety of people. It seemed everyone knew Kakashi and Tenzo, and their names came up often. At one point, Obito had gone on a ten minute rant about how Kakashi </span>
  <em>
    <span>must </span>
  </em>
  <span>be cheating somehow, and Iruka could only laugh. He couldn't wait until that night, when he could finally go to one of the fight nights. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you ready?" Kakashi asked happily. Tenzo had left almost an hour ago, wanting time to warm up before his fight. It was Kakashi's off week, so Iruka was rightfully confused when the older man still picked up his duffle-bag near the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I thought you had an off-night?" Iruka asked, walking close to the other man as they moved to the elevator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Technically, I do. But you can volunteer to take on challengers after the regular fights are over. I don't usually </span>
  <em>
    <span>need </span>
  </em>
  <span>to take my day off, since I don't generally get hit a lot." Kakashi said with a smile, shifting his bag to his other side so he could thread their fingers together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka allowed it, welcoming the affection he had grown accustomed to receiving from the two military men. "So you're going to accept a challenger?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded. "Yes. I signed up for it yesterday. They put my name up on the board, and if someone wants to challenge me that isn't in the league, they can sign up. Obviously there are some restrictions. If they are hugely out of my weight class, I have to agree beforehand to those conditions." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the car, Iruka relaxed into the seat, laughing as Kakashi still turned the seat warmers on for a two-block drive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older man shrugged, chuckling under his breath. "Habit." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The actual ring was located in the building next door to Gai's gym, and the parking was a bit tight. Kakashi navigated it expertly, leading Iruka into the stands. Zabuza and Haku were there, watching as they sat next to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Have you finally come to challenge me, Zabuza?" Kakashi said with a laugh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other man rolled his eyes while Haku greeted Iruka. "I wish. Someone else beat me to it. I'd love to put you in your place." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi laughed, clearly enjoying the teasing from his friend. It was nice to see Kakashi interact with other people. He had a wonderful charisma that Iruka could only dream about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the fights started, Iruka's eyes were glued to the ring. Kakashi explained to him that Tenzo's fight would be last, and he could see why. All of the people in the first couple fights were </span>
  <em>
    <span>really small</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He recognized a few of them from the gym, but hadn't met any of them before until the women went on. Tsunade was the reigning women's champ, and she was fierce. She landed a hit on the young brunette that was fighting her and the woman was </span>
  <em>
    <span>out cold. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Even Zabuza had commented that she was terrifying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As the weight classes moved up, the fights started to get harder to watch. Iruka couldn't imagine </span>
  <em>
    <span>volunteering </span>
  </em>
  <span>to take that kind of beating, and he hoped he wasn't going to see Kakashi and Tenzo get hurt tonight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The first round of the heavyweight class was Obito and Gai. It was strange watching his bosses dance around the ring and punch each other in the face. Gai was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fast</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but Obito was quick to dodge the hits. Eventually, Obito knocked Gai to the ground with a hit straight to his jaw, and was declared the winner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The loudspeaker crackled loudly as the stadium filled with the announcer's voice. </span>
  <b>"And for our final </b>
  <b>
    <em>official </em>
  </b>
  <b>match, we have the bearded wonder, weighing in at a whopping 225lbs, the man who is as strong as a hurricane, Asuma Sarutobi!"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, it was Tenzo vs Asuma. Iruka recognized the bouncer immediately. The guy was </span>
  <em>
    <span>huge, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and Iruka hoped Tenzo wouldn't get too hurt. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>"Tonight, Asuma is challenging our very own immovable oak tree, weighing in at 217lbs, the man who can take a thousand punches, Tenzo Hatake!"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka couldn't hardly hear anything as the crowd roared, cheering as the two boxers entered the ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shouldn't you be warming up?" Zabuza asked with a mischievous grin once the noise died down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi shrugged, waving the man off. "Maa, I want to watch Tenzo's fight." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zabuza's responding grin showed off his sharp teeth. "Always so </span>
  <em>
    <span>cocky,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Captain." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Asuma touched gloves, and the round was off. Iruka watched on the edge of his seat, his heart beating way too fast as the two men immediately started exchanging blows. They didn't dance around the ring like Iruka had seen others do. It really just looked like an all out brawl. The other difference Iruka noticed, was that Tenzo was the only person who didn't respond to the hits. When Asuma was punched in the face, he grunted, he grimaced in pain, he frowned, he </span>
  <em>
    <span>showed emotion</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tenzo was a blank slate. His eyes remained fixed on his target, even when Asuma was punching him in the jaw. Iruka could hardly bear to watch it. He knew for a fact that getting punched </span>
  <em>
    <span>fucking hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>, so how the hell could Tenzo just stand there and take it? The nickname made sense, because Tenzo </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>seem just like a big tree. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, Tenzo caught Asuma square in the jaw, and the Bearded Wonder was knocked to the canvas. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was smiling when he looked over at Iruka. "I've gotta go get changed. Are you okay to stay here with Zabuza and Haku? Tenzo will be out before my match." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked over to the two ex-Anbu, and nodded. If Kakashi and Tenzo could trust them with their lives, then Iruka could certainly trust them as well. Once Kakashi was gone, Haku moved around Zabuza to sit next to Iruka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is this your first time watching the fights?" He asked, watching the brunette with his large eyes. Iruka was still shocked by how feminine the man was. He was just… </span>
  <em>
    <span>pretty. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. It's a bit intense." He replied thoughtlessly. Once Haku chuckled, he realized he had just called a simple boxing match </span>
  <em>
    <span>intense </span>
  </em>
  <span>to someone who did unspeakable things as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>child soldier. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Something must have shown on his face, because Haku gave him a knowing smile. Thankfully, he didn't say anything. Iruka remembered Tenzo's rules </span>
  <em>
    <span>very well</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He wasn't allowed to even admit that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>about it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo was in the stands quickly, making his way towards them with a smile on his already bruising face. Iruka had a feeling that Tenzo had rushed out here, since it had only been about three minutes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man was fully dressed once again, wearing a short sleeved shirt and pants. On his way up, people kept congratulating him and patting him on the back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo walked up and squished next to Iruka, putting an arm around his waist. From this distance, Iruka could see the swelling in the other man's jaw. Despite the obvious pain he must've been in, Tenzo still smiled down at him and kissed him on the forehead. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Doesn't that </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Iruka asked worriedly, trying not to lean into Tenzo's embrace in case his body was just as swollen as his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo shook his head. "Not really. My pain tolerance is… </span>
  <em>
    <span>high</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He replied with a wink. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka would have to ask more about that later. It was either a result of his training, or a result of the experiments he was put through. Iruka wasn't sure what answer would make him feel better. </span>
</p><p>
  <b>"For our challenge round, we have our returning heavyweight champion. Weighing in at 176lbs, he's faster than lightning, and twice as deadly! Konoha's own silver fang, Kakashi Hatake!"</b>
</p><p>
  <span>The crowd went nuts, yelling and cheering as Kakashi stepped into the ring. Iruka couldn't hear himself think, or the chuckling that he could feel through Tenzo's arm around him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The announcer was in the ring, gesturing with his arms for everyone to calm down. It took quite a while for the volume to lower enough for him to speak again.</span>
</p><p>
  <b>"And for our challenger, an amateur, weighing in at 172lbs, Mizuki!" </b>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka froze immediately at the name, watching as his ex-boyfriend climbed into the ring amidst a barrage of booing. Tenzo's arm tightened around his waist, and he was fairly sure the older man was trying to speak to him, but Iruka didn't hear a word of it. Mizuki looked straight at him. Pointed to him even, with that same look Iruka always got from him whenever Mizuki was about to get his way. That's the look he had given Iruka right after they had broken up, when Mizuki had pinned him to the floor. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Tenzo wasn't sure what the hell was going on. In what world would Mizuki think that challenging </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all people, was a good idea? Iruka wasn't responding to his voice, so Tenzo took drastic measures and shook him by the shoulders. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Finally</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he got a response. Iruka looked at him, eyes wide and filled with unshed tears. Tenzo's first reaction was to get Iruka out of here, to leave before Mizuki had a chance to follow them. On the other hand, Tenzo had noticed another member of the crowd watching them intently. Mizuki had friends here, likely waiting for them to leave so Mizuki could find a way to track Iruka down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka, it's okay. He can't hurt you." Tenzo tried to reassure him. Zabuza and Haku weren't reacting, but he knew they had caught on to what was happening. Hard not to, with Mizuki pointing and acting like a jackass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi looked furious. It wasn't outwardly visible to anyone other than Tenzo. Even Zabuza and Haku had a hard time reading their captain. The only other people who would be able to read him were Shisui and Itachi. It was a very minute clenching of his jaw, the way his shoulders were just a tiny bit less relaxed than usual. That was all it was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mizuki was running around the ring, yelling at the crowd, telling them that they didn't know anything. He acted as if he really believed that a weak amateur like him, who had more fat than muscle, could defeat someone like </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Even when they touched gloves, Mizuki had a smug look on his face. Tenzo held Iruka tightly to his side, trying to comfort him as best he could. How would Iruka react when Kakashi knocked his ex's lights out? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was different. He was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pissed. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tenzo could tell just from his stance. Kakashi wasn't going to run. He wasn't going to drag this out just to make the crowd go wild. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bell rang, and Kakashi flew in, just like the announcer had said, </span>
  <em>
    <span>faster than lightning. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Mizuki didn't have a chance. Kakashi caught him in his temple, knocking him off his feet with a loud </span>
  <em>
    <span>crack</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Tenzo wouldn't be surprised if Mizuki had just gotten a concussion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shockingly, the man managed to get up before the count, his legs shaking, and his confidence clearly gone. Kakashi said something, but it was too quiet for them to hear. One look at Tenzo, and the brunette knew what Kakashi was trying to tell him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He needed to go check the parking lot. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Zabuza turned to him, also recognizing a silent command from their captain, and nodded. He would keep an eye on Iruka in Tenzo's absence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The bell rang again, and Kakashi faked left, fooling Mizuki while swinging hard with his right. This time, he caught Mizuki in his jaw, hitting him so hard that his body bounced off of the mat when he landed. Tenzo knew from experience that a jaw shot from Kakashi was a match-ender. He stood, releasing Iruka from his grip. "I'm sorry, Iruka. I need to go check the parking lot. Can you stay with Zabuza and Haku?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka looked worried, but nodded slowly. However, Tenzo needed to make sure. "I mean it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Do not </span>
  </em>
  <span>leave their side. For anything." He would never forgive himself if one of Mizuki's friends cornered Iruka somewhere in his absence. He trusted Zabuza and Haku. The older man's senses were unrivaled, and Haku was as deadly as anyone else in their platoon. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded again, scooting closer to the other two as Tenzo made his way through the excitable crowd to the parking lot. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Outside, Tenzo's senses were immediately on edge. Something was wrong. If he were Mizuki, he would have someone waiting to see what car they got into, or something along those lines. Everyone was still inside, watching as Mizuki was likely taken out on a stretcher, so the parking lot was quiet. Tenzo could see fairly well in the dark, and could hear better than most, but the tight parking lot and the nearby freeway had proven to be a hindrance when he didn't immediately see or hear the car coming up behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew what was happening as soon as he turned, jumping in an effort to keep the speeding vehicle from breaking his legs and pulling him under. It was too late for Tenzo to dodge, but he could certainly reduce the damage done. His lower body was hit, and he rolled over the top of the red car and landed awkwardly on his back. It stung, but it was nothing Tenzo couldn't handle. He was on his feet immediately, bracing himself for an attack that never came. The car kept going, the driver running away like a coward as nearby civilians called out to the Anbu. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo sighed, knowing he could probably recover just fine at home… but witnesses meant that an ambulance was likely already on its way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo didn't see anyone suspicious hanging around, but it was getting harder to tell as the crowd around him grew bigger. Perhaps that was the point. Mizuki didn't seem like a smart man, but Tenzo was smart enough to know that the man could have powerful allies. The goal </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>have been to hurt one of Iruka's new friends… or maybe to distract them while another followed them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Several people had walked up to him, asking if he was alright dramatically, and trying to force him to sit down. Sure, he was sore, and judging by the wet spot he felt on his lower leg, his skin was broken in at least one place, but he would be fine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Iruka finally made it outside just as the ambulance was showing up. Tenzo refused to make a scene, and reluctantly submitted to their care. Just because he wasn't in much pain, didn't mean he wasn't seriously injured. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was furious, of course, and Iruka looked half a step away from crying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The paramedic was taking Tenzo's blood pressure when he finally had a chance to talk to them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm fine, Iruka." Tenzo tried to reassure him, reaching out with his free hand and cupping his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You were hit by a car."</span>
  </em>
  <span> Iruka said stubbornly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo sighed as the paramedic felt his forehead. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Here we go. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"You have a fever." The man stated, obviously not knowing that Tenzo was just always that warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I always have a high temperature." Tenzo tried, knowing that he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>been able to successfully convince a paramedic to just let it go. Of course, the man brushed him off. "We need to take you in." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo rolled his eyes, looking to his captain. "Red Mazda. J8H-T9KF." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded. "We'll meet you at the hospital."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nodded his agreement, though he knew it would be pointless. The doctors would insist on keeping him overnight for observation because of his elevated temperature. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat in the waiting room, bouncing his leg impatiently. They had taken Tenzo to scan for internal injuries, and Iruka was beyond nervous. Was this all his fault? Was it a friend of Mizuki's? Tenzo insisted he was fine… but how could he be sure? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's cold hand gripped his. "Trust me, Tenzo's fine. He doesn't lie about things like that." The older man spoke softly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka knew that Kakashi spoke from experience, having likely seen Tenzo in much worse situations than this… but it was still hard not to worry. Kakashi's soft lips pressed to his forehead, and Iruka couldn't help but close his eyes as warm tingles shot down his spine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Kakashi Hatake?" A doctor spoke from in front of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes?" Kakashi answered automatically, turning away from Iruka and towards the other man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Your friend is going to be fine. I understand most of his injuries are from a voluntary fight </span>
  <em>
    <span>previous </span>
  </em>
  <span>to the actual incident with the car. Other than some bumps and bruises, he seems fine. Though since he is running a fever, I would like to keep him overnight for observation." The doctor explained professionally. Kakashi nodded, standing up and bringing Iruka with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"May we see him?" The older man asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes. Right this way." The doctor replied, leading them down the hallway and into Tenzo's room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo seemed relatively fine aside from the dark bruising that was on his jaw. Iruka couldn't see much else, since they had forced him into a hospital gown to do all of their testing. The doctor hadn't followed them in, so Kakashi walked up and kissed the injured man immediately. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Try not to get hit by anymore cars." Kakashi said with a smile. Tenzo snorted immediately. "Duly noted." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's attention settled on Iruka immediately, who was far too cowardly to walk straight up to the bed. "Iruka… come over here." Tenzo spoke gently, holding his arms out. Iruka complied immediately, sinking into the other man's hold. "I'm fine. I promise. It's really not a big deal." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." He answered solemnly. Iruka wondered if Mizuki had been taken to the hospital as well. They had taken him out of the ring unconscious, thanks to the absolutely brutal beating he had received from Kakashi. Iruka had mixed feelings about it. Mizuki was an ass… and he undoubtedly deserved everything he got, but some insanely </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid </span>
  </em>
  <span>part of Iruka's brain still loved the guy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo had been talking. How long had Iruka been zoned out? Neither of them seemed to mind that he wasn't joining in the conversation, as Tenzo's fingers slowly carded through his hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You guys should head home. There is no reason to hang around. I'm just going to sleep, anyway." Tenzo said with a smile. Iruka was reluctant to leave, but Kakashi gestured for him to follow anyway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The trip home was a blur. Iruka felt exhausted, and frankly a bit ridiculous. Why was </span>
  <em>
    <span>he </span>
  </em>
  <span>the one stressing out and half asleep? Kakashi and Tenzo had literally </span>
  <em>
    <span>fought people </span>
  </em>
  <span>today. Tenzo had been </span>
  <em>
    <span>hit by a car. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Why was Iruka the one that was upset? Simply because he had seen an ex? He shook his head, trying to sort out his thoughts. He felt pathetic. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey. It's okay to be upset." Kakashi said randomly, and suddenly Iruka was aware that he had been talking out loud. They were pulling into the garage, and Kakashi parked quickly. The other man was out of the car and already at Iruka's side before he even had his door open all the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Emotional stress and physical stress are two different things. They affect people differently as well. You shouldn't feel upset about that. Besides, I think it's okay to be stressed out when a friend gets hit by a car, and your abusive ex shows up to try to challenge your friends. Don't be so hard on yourself." Kakashi spoke gently, smoothing his hands along Iruka's waist. Iruka nodded softly, and Kakashi led him up to the penthouse. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi went to take a shower, and Iruka laid down on Tenzo's bed. He hoped the other man was able to sleep okay, all alone in the hospital. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was almost asleep when he heard his door crack open. He looked up to see Kakashi standing awkwardly in the doorway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Need some company?" The older man asked. Somehow, Iruka knew Kakashi was the one that wanted company. The older man was used to sharing a bed, and Iruka knew from experience that it could feel lonely by yourself after sharing for so long. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure." He replied with a soft smile, scooting closer to the edge of the bed to show the other man it was okay to lay down with him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other reason became abundantly clear when Kakashi's cold skin touched Iruka's shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Right. Kakashi was probably freezing after his shower. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka turned to him instantly, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's cold midsection. Deep gray eyes widened a fraction in surprise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sorry for intruding on your space." Kakashi whispered sheepishly, his body tensed beneath Iruka's arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka just smiled at him. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you're lonely without Tenzo… and obviously fairly cold. I wouldn't mind sharing the bed with you for the night." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi exhaled softly, his muscles relaxing. "Thanks, Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka huffed a laugh. "No problem. Now let's get some sleep. They allow overnight observation patients to check out at 8 a.m., and I'm sure Tenzo won't want to stay much longer than that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi raised an eyebrow at the information, and Iruka flushed in embarrassment. He had been forced to stay overnight plenty of times… when Mizuki sent him to the hospital. Kakashi seemed to understand that without Iruka saying it, rolling to his side and pulling Iruka's face into his chest. Despite Kakashi's cold skin, it was comfortable. Iruka smoothed his arms around to Kakashi's bare back, pulling the other man in tight. Kakashi hummed contentedly, resting his jaw on Iruka's head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't long before Iruka's eyes closed, the man slipping off into a pleasant dream world with Kakashi wrapped around him. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Sorry it's taking me so long to get chapters out! Let me know what you think!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Iruka woke with the obvious warmth of another body against his back. He didn't mind. He knew immediately that it was Kakashi… because Mizuki hadn't cuddled with him in </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He was thankful that Kakashi seemed to be relatively warm, and hadn't spent the night freezing without the human heater that was Tenzo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good morning." Kakashi spoke quietly, snuggling up closer to Iruka's back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka turned over, moving to face the beautiful man in the bed with him. "Good morning." He said with a smile. "I think it's almost time for us to go get Tenzo." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi hummed his agreement. "Yeah. I think so. He's probably already awake and arguing with doctors about his temperature." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka huffed a laugh. "That must get frustrating. What do they say when </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>go to the hospital?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi smiled. "Well… once I was told that I was </span>
  <em>
    <span>dead</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Most other times they just run a bunch of tests and freak out until Tenzo helps me sneak out of the window." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed loudly at the thought, hoping that he would never get to see it in person. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a little more chatting, Iruka and Kakashi left the bed and got ready quickly. They were out the door and in the car within ten minutes. Kakashi was clearly very eager to see Tenzo, and Iruka wondered if it was more a product of worry, or because of his intimate attachment to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Probably because he loves the guy</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Iruka thought to himself. He didn't imagine that they had spent many nights apart since they had left Anbu. Maybe even </span>
  <em>
    <span>before</span>
  </em>
  <span> then. Iruka still wasn't quite sure how long the relationship had been going on for. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was right. As soon as they made it to Tenzo's room, they could hear him bitterly telling the doctor that he was always that warm. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry Sir, but it just isn't possible for you to be </span>
  <em>
    <span>that warm </span>
  </em>
  <span>all the time." The doctor spoke sternly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo put his hand across the bridge of his nose, his frustration evident on his usually stoic face. "You know what, it doesn't even matter. You can't keep me here anymore. I've stayed the night, and now my ride is here. Thanks for your help." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor huffed, rolling his eyes before moving to the other side of the room. Iruka couldn't really blame him. The guy was just doing his job, and didn't know the whole story. Kakashi didn't even look at the man before moving to Tenzo's side, wrapping both arms around Tenzo's waist. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Calm down." The silver-haired man spoke softly, letting Tenzo melt into his arms. It was almost jarring how quickly Kakashi had settled the other man's anger. Iruka stayed back a few feet, watching as the doctor quickly decided that Kakashi was clearly the reasonable one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You live with him?" The doctor asked, his voice quick and professional. Kakashi nodded, turning his attention to the doctor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man held an orange bottle out to Kakashi, who accepted it quickly. "At least help him take it easy for a few days. Just because his pain tolerance is exceptionally high, doesn't mean his body doesn't need time to recover." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded, pocketing the bottle of pills. "Will do." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor sighed, leaving the three of them alone. Tenzo groaned immediately, dropping his head on Kakashi's shoulder. "I hate this place." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled. "Me too." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka also wasn't the hospital's biggest fan. He had been sent here so often in the past that some of the nurses recognized him. He hoped that he wouldn't run into them today, seeing as none of them had actually seen Mizuki before. (The man couldn't be bothered to visit, of course, or give Iruka a ride home even.) He didn't want them to see the two large boxers and assume the worst. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Tenzo had thrown off the hospital gown, leaving him completely naked while he gathered his own clothes. Iruka blushed, looking away to give the man some privacy. In his head, he was drooling. Tenzo was </span>
  <em>
    <span>not </span>
  </em>
  <span>a small man. In any form. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That </span>
  </em>
  <span>was confirmed by the full frontal view he had just gotten before he turned away. He tried not to think about the wonderful v-cut of his abs, or the thin trail of brown hair moving down from his navel.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey." Tenzo spoke softly, suddenly right beside him, fully clothed. The quick and silent movements suddenly reminded Iruka that this man was in fact a deadly killer. He looked into those deep brown eyes, and saw the smile reflected in it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thanks for coming to bail me out." The boxer said with a large grin, sweeping Iruka up into a hug. Iruka giggled, returning the affections easily. Tenzo's horrid past didn't change who he was now, after all. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come on." Kakashi spoke softly. "Let's get you home." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo huffed a laugh. "You're just saying that because your feet are cold."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi smiled brightly. "Maybe. Iruka had to be my heater while you were in here taking a vacation." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed. These two were incredibly ridiculous together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>At the counter, the woman handing Tenzo his paperwork was shamelessly flirting with both Kakashi </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tenzo, to the point that Iruka was half tempted to say something. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>jealous. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Definitely not. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka?" He was startled from his thoughts when someone called his name. Iruka immediately regretted looking when he turned and saw one of his regular nurses walking up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey! I haven't seen you for a little bit. How are you doing?" The short woman asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naomi had always been extra kind to Iruka when he had come in injured. She knew what was happening, (not that she could </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>anything about it) and always slipped a card into his hand with the domestic abuse hotline number on it. Iruka had never called. Aside from getting Mizuki (maybe) temporarily arrested, nothing would come of it. All of the domestic abuse shelters in the city were "women and children only"... not that Iruka would </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>have admitted he was being abused. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Naomi looked him up and down, scanning for injuries. "I'm doing well, thank you." Iruka answered with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman peeked around him, spotting Kakashi and Tenzo watching their interaction. The change in her smile was immediate. Iruka was quick to stop her before she yelled at his friends. "Neither of them are Mizuki. They are the ones that got me </span>
  <em>
    <span>away </span>
  </em>
  <span>from him." Iruka spoke loudly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her jaw dropped. "You're </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>away from Mizuki?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, happy with the smile that returned to her face. He wasn't quite prepared for the hug she gave him, but hugged her back anyway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad you're going to be okay now, Iruka. You deserve to be happy." Naomi said with a smile, tipping her head in greeting to the other two who were still at the desk. He didn't bother saying that it was probably Mizuki's fault that Tenzo was in the hospital, or that he was afraid of the man randomly showing up again. He let Naomi have her happiness. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>On their way out, Naomi shouted to Kakashi and Tenzo from the nurse's station. "Take care of him!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo immediately turned, a shit-eating grin on his face. "Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>we will</span>
  </em>
  <span>." He replied loudly, winking. Three different nurses were giggling, talking amongst themselves about the handsome strangers. Iruka couldn't blame them. Tenzo's wink was deadly, and with Kakashi sending a smile back their way too… the nurses didn't stand a chance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once they got back to the penthouse, Iruka showered and got ready for work. When he returned to the front room, Kakashi was sitting on the end of the couch, watching tv with the volume almost all the way down. Once Iruka rounded the couch, he could see why. Tenzo was asleep, laying on his back with his head in Kakashi's lap. The older man's hand was running slowly through the short brown hair, and once Iruka got closer, he could tell that Kakashi was also humming. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was surreal. Iruka had seen both Kakashi and Tenzo beat the hell out of people. He knew the types of things they could do with their training… but the scene before him was simply… </span>
  <em>
    <span>sweet</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Iruka couldn't keep the smile from his face as he walked over to Kakashi's side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi stopped humming, slowly looking up to meet Iruka's gaze. The younger man leaned in, placing a soft kiss on the man's forehead. Kakashi's eyes were closed when he pulled back, slowly reopening. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka whispered to avoid waking Tenzo. "I've gotta head to work. I'll see you when I get back." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded, but Iruka didn't miss the brief flash of concern flickering across his face. "Stay safe." Kakashi whispered back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo might have been hit by a car, but that did not mean that Iruka would be in danger walking to the gym in broad daylight. Mizuki might be a dick, but he also was a coward. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Iruka's day had been going pretty well. He had made friends with the nutritionist. She was a woman a couple years older than him, and her name was Rin. She had spent almost her entire break at the front desk chatting away with him. She really was a nice girl, and Iruka wasn't all that surprised when Obito swooped in shortly after she left. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, Iruka?" He asked quietly. "You live with Kakashi, right?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled at him. Despite the man technically being his boss, Obito was a genuinely nice guy. "Yeah, I do. Why?" He answered happily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito blushed, looking back the way Rin had just gone. "Well… does that mean you're…" He mumbled, rolling his hand in a weird gesture in the hopes that he wouldn't have to finish his sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Gay?" Iruka supplied with a smirk. He had a feeling that Obito had a crush on Rin, and wasn't surprised when Obito felt threatened by him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito blushed brighter, fumbling with his words. "Well… um… yeah." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka laughed. "I mean… I haven't </span>
  <em>
    <span>slept </span>
  </em>
  <span>with either of them, but I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>gay." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito breathed a sigh of relief, and Iruka laughed at him again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oi! Why are you laughing at me?" Obito squawked defensively, which only served to make Iruka laugh harder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Just </span>
  <em>
    <span>ask her out</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Iruka said when he finally managed to calm himself down. "She talks about you </span>
  <em>
    <span>constantly. </span>
  </em>
  <span>At least half of her stories center around </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I wouldn't believe it if she turned you down." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito blushed, running his hand through his hair. He started to say something, but was cut off by the phone ringing. Iruka held up a finger, and answered it. "Thank you for calling Gai's Gym, how can I help you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You really think you can hide from me?"</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka swallowed nervously, feeling all of his blood rushing out of his face. Obito had noticed the drastic change in his demeanor, and was watching him carefully. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"O-our hours are 6 am to midnight, 7 days a week." Iruka replied, trying to remain calm so Obito wouldn't know. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"It doesn't matter how far you run, or who's dick you suck for protection. You'll be back with me before you know it." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The line went dead, and Iruka felt nauseous as he hung the phone up slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is everything okay?" Obito asked quietly, his brows furrowed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka forced himself to smile, and nodded. "Y-yes. I just think I need to use the restroom. Would you be able to watch the desk for a few minutes?" Iruka asked quietly. He couldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>believe </span>
  </em>
  <span>that Mizuki had already found out where he worked. </span>
  <em>
    <span>How the hell </span>
  </em>
  <span>did he manage that? Were they followed home from the hospital? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Sure thing." Obito answered, worry still clear on his face. "Are you </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure </span>
  </em>
  <span>you're okay?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka barely remembered to answer him before running off to the bathroom. As soon as he made it into a stall, his stomach ejected everything he had eaten for breakfast. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why was this happening? Why couldn't Mizuki just leave him alone? </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sat on the floor of the bathroom, trying to force himself to breathe and willing away the tears that were trying to fall. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It took several minutes for Iruka to pull himself together enough to go back to the front desk. Obito watched him silently, not bothering to ask him again since he wouldn't be given an answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The rest of the work day went by in a blur, and before he knew it, Iruka was on his way home again. Every time he turned his head during his two block walk, he could swear he saw a flash of white hair in his peripherals. He was being paranoid. He knew it. It didn't relax him at all to know that it wasn't real. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After unlocking the door with the key Kakashi had given him, Iruka made it back into the penthouse and let out an uneasy breath. He could smell the wonderful scent of Kakashi cooking in the kitchen, and tried to force himself to relax. He was home. Nothing could possibly happen to him here. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo rounded the corner, wearing simply a pair of orange athletic shorts and a giant grin. Strong arms swept him up as Iruka's face was peppered with kisses. His bones melted, and he sunk into the warm embrace immediately. For the first time in many hours, Iruka was able to smile with sincerity. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How was work? Did you miss me?" Tenzo asked with a smile, his brown eyes watching Iruka's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He decided to ignore the first question. "Of course I missed you! I didn't even get to say goodbye before I left." Iruka said with a wide smile, running his hands around the smooth skin at Tenzo's waist.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smirked, his eyes drifting down to Iruka's lips. "I guess we'll just have to make up for lost time, then." He answered softly, tilting his head and moving in to claim his lips. Iruka met him halfway, happy to share kisses with this wonderfully sexy man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo deepened the kiss, opening his mouth and licking Iruka's lips until the younger man allowed him access. Iruka groaned, running his hands up the toned chest as wandering fingers moved up under his polo shirt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hey, horndogs, I made dinner." Kakashi called from the kitchen, his voice filled with mirth. Tenzo chuckled, breaking off the kiss finally and grabbing Iruka's hand. He allowed the exceptionally strong man to lead him to the table. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, Iruka didn't tell them about his phone call. He didn't want to admit that a few simple sentences had sent him to the bathroom to vomit. He felt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>weak. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He laid in his bed, (he had stopped thinking of it as Tenzo's once the man's scent wore off) staring at the ceiling as he tried to go to sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes, there was a soft knock on his door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes?" Iruka called out quietly. The door cracked open, and Tenzo peeked his head in with a bright smile. "Mind if I come in for a minute?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled, sitting up a bit. "Come on in." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo entered the room, walking gracefully over to the bed. He sat on the edge, reaching out to grab Iruka's hand. "I just wanted to thank you." Tenzo spoke softly, his thumb rubbing over the back of Iruka's hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank me?" Iruka replied, furrowing his brows slightly in confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo nodded, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "For keeping Kakashi warm while I was gone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka chuckled, amused that Tenzo would come in here just for that. When he caught the serious look on the other man's face, he tilted his head in confusion. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo looked down to their hands. "It seems silly… I know. But it meant a lot to Kakashi, and it means a lot to me. He doesn't handle loneliness very well. Last time, I had a hard time getting him to leave the hospital. If you hadn't kept him company, I have no doubt that he would have shown up in my room in the middle of the night." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka processed the words the other man was saying. It hadn't seemed like such a big deal at the time. Thinking back on it now, he remembered just how lonely Kakashi had seemed without Tenzo. He thought about Kakashi pressed tightly up against his back, and cold fingers tracing scars along his spine. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled, suddenly glad that he had accepted Kakashi's offer for company. "Well, I appreciated the company too. It's nice to be needed once in a while."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's smile dampened a bit. "You know… if you ever need company, you can always come join us." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka huffed a laugh, and Tenzo was quick to raise his hand. "No funny business… I swear. I truly mean that. There is plenty of room for you there if you ever need it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded. "Thank you, Tenzo." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The man gave him one last kiss on the forehead before standing up and heading back to his own room. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day at work, Iruka was nervous any time he answered the phone. </span>
  <em>
    <span>That was probably Mizuki's plan all along. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>When Obito or Gai would pop up next to the desk, he would be easily startled. Obito didn't ask, but watched him with concern any time he was acting extra jumpy. Iruka had a feeling that Gai knew about Mizuki, but he wasn't sure about Obito. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was just coming back from his lunch when he saw Obito signing in some familiar faces. Two large bodies almost blocked out his entire view of the desk. Iruka had no doubts about who they were. Fujin and Raijin. Mizuki's friends. His ex had undoubtedly sent them here to scare Iruka… </span>
  <em>
    <span>and it was working. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka squeezed around to the other side of the desk just in time to hear Obito speaking to them. "Alright. Here are your passes. Enjoy your new memberships." He said with a smile, not knowing that Iruka's heart was trying to beat out of his chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the overly fat brothers had relocated to the part of the gym that was still visible to the desk, Iruka sat down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How was your lunch?" Obito asked, a giant smile on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"G-good." Iruka answered quietly, trying not to look in the direction of the two men who were currently staring him down across the gym. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito's smile was unnaturally large, and he couldn't help but ask. "What is it?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I asked Rin out, and she said yes!" He announced proudly, practically vibrating in his excitement. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka congratulated him as happily as he could, all while his guts were twisting about in his stomach. The two men had never been particularly </span>
  <em>
    <span>mean </span>
  </em>
  <span>to him… but they had always laughed when Mizuki treated him like garbage. Every time he answered the phone, they were watching. Any time he moved from his seat, they were watching. If Iruka scratched his nose, </span>
  <em>
    <span>they were watching. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He couldn't handle it. He was sweating bullets, the bottom layer of his hair soaked through, making him extra glad that he had it up in a ponytail. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, his shift was over, and he practically ran out of the back door of the building. Normally, he used the front door… but they were probably counting on that. For all he knew, they weren't even going to do anything, but he couldn't be sure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time dinner was over and everyone was heading to bed, Iruka still hadn't mentioned the whole ordeal to his friends. He should have. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he should have. But these two men had already done </span>
  <em>
    <span>so much </span>
  </em>
  <span>already. Tenzo had </span>
  <em>
    <span>gotten hit by a damn car </span>
  </em>
  <span>for crying out loud. Could he really put them in </span>
  <em>
    <span>more </span>
  </em>
  <span>danger by telling them? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka knew within an hour of laying down that there was no way he was going to be able to sleep. He hopped out of bed, moving across the room and out into the hallway. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka knocked on the other bedroom door as lightly as possible, hoping that he wasn't waking the other two men up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo opened the door almost instantly, half-startling Iruka as he stood on the other side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka? Is everything alright?" Tenzo asked, worry in his eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed, starting to think that maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Images of Mizuki's friends glaring at him in the gym flashed through his mind, and he made his decision. Tenzo watched him as he worked through his thoughts, his gaze calculating and attentive. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is there… still room for me?" Iruka asked in a near-whisper, embarrassed that he was even having to ask for company. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's gaze softened instantly, and he stepped aside to invite Iruka in. "Of course. Come on in." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man hesitated, seeing Kakashi watching him from the bed. Was he overstepping a boundary? Tenzo had told him that he was welcome, but did Kakashi feel the same way? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His question was answered as Kakashi shifted towards the edge of the bed, making room for Iruka with a smile on his face. Tenzo placed a palm on his back, guiding him gently to the bed to lay down. Tenzo pushed him into the middle, wrapping an arm around his waist and pressing his warm body up against Iruka's back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moved in close as well, pecking Iruka on the forehead before tucking his cold face into the tanned chest. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt pleasantly comfortable here, sandwiched between the two men. More importantly, he felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and drifted off to sleep within minutes. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>When Iruka woke up, he was unbelievably comfortable. His eyes were still shut, and he felt as if he had fallen asleep under a heated blanket. He was warm down to his very bones, the type of warmth that could pull you back to sleep in an instant if you let it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead, Iruka's "heated blanket" shifted, groaning a little bit as the man stretched. Tenzo's hand slid over his skin, reaching over him from behind to land on the milky white shoulder that was nearly buried in his torso. Kakashi's skin was also fairly warm, a concept that was simply amazing after knowing how cold the man was normally. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moved just enough to pop his head up, his eyes droopy and his hair a complete disaster zone. Iruka smiled as the man squinted down at him, probably just barely awake enough to know that he was looking at Iruka and not Tenzo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Now you see why I like having Tenzo in my bed." Kakashi mumbled, a smile breaking out on his face. "He makes it all cuddly and warm." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka chuckled, and Tenzo huffed indignantly behind his back. The warmth amplified as the brunette leaned over his shoulder to lock eyes with Kakashi. "I hope that's not the </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>reason." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, his voice deep and rough from sleep. "Of course not, kohai. I like your dick, too." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo let out an exasperated sigh and dropped his face on Iruka's shoulder. Iruka laughed, rolling so he was facing Tenzo instead of Kakashi. "Don't worry, Tenzo. </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>like you for much more than that." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo smiled mischievously, looking down on Iruka with playful eyes. "Well, I guess maybe I'll just stick with </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>then, since you actually appreciate me." He answered, his voice dipping down low as he leaned in. His warm hand slid to Iruka's side, pulling him in to capture him in a kiss. Iruka went willingly, opening his mouth immediately. If Tenzo wanted to tease Kakashi, Iruka was all for it. Fingers teased at the waistband of his shorts, dipping under them as his hand made trails over his back. Iruka moaned into the kiss, feeling particularly wonderful in the other man's strong embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a small whine from over his shoulder, and the kiss was broken. Iruka turned, seeing Kakashi watching them with his bottom lip sticking out in a pout. "You wouldn't leave me out, would you, Tenzo?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka chuckled, spinning again and gripping Kakashi's pale hip. The older man didn't waste any time, ducking down and clamping his mouth on the pulse point of Iruka's neck, mouthing his way around the tan skin under his jaw. Another set of lips found the back of his neck, and Iruka was in heaven. Tenzo's warm body was once again pressed up against his back, but this time, he could feel the telling hardness pressing against his ass. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka gasped, unconsciously angling his hips back against Tenzo's length as both mouths worked at his skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo moaned against his shoulder, pressing forward and sliding himself against Iruka's ass again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi stole the show quickly, his pale hand tracing a path down Iruka's chest and abs until he was cupping Iruka's erection over his shorts. The moan was covered by thin lips, Kakashi pushing his tongue into Iruka's mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's breath was right next to his ear. "Would you like some help with that?" The man asked, his voice sultry and low. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi broke off the kiss, both dark eyes watching Iruka with a raw sort of intensity that sent shivers down his spine. Iruka was hardly able to speak, the deep voice sending heat down to coil in his stomach. He managed to whisper a quiet "yes", nodding and turning his head to look at the man behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, pushing on Iruka's shoulder to start turning him back towards Tenzo. He wasn't sure how the other two men planned to do this, or really </span>
  <em>
    <span>what </span>
  </em>
  <span>they wanted to do… but he didn't care. They were both sexy, and strong, and filled Iruka's body with so much </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>and </span>
  <em>
    <span>need</span>
  </em>
  <span> that he could hardly stand it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo grabbed on to him, helping him turn around the rest of the way, since his brain had apparently shut off. Kakashi was up against his back instantly, tracing nonsensical patterns into the tan skin there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo swept him up into another kiss, cupping Iruka's face with his hands and thrusting his pelvis forward to drag himself along Iruka's erection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka moaned, almost missing the fact that Kakashi's fingers were tangling in his hair, removing the hair tie that had been loosened in his sleep. Those lukewarm fingers continued to smooth through his hair, pulling it back and away from his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo didn't let him focus on that for long. Warm fingers pulled the waistband of his shorts down, his underwear with them, to expose his cock to gleaming brown eyes. Tenzo's hungry eyes raked over his skin, taking in every detail as his hands followed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A warm hand encased his length, and Iruka cried out, tipping his head back in pleasure. Kakashi took the opportunity to latch on to the junction between his shoulder and neck, sucking on an area that sent sparks through his bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he looked back down, Tenzo had his own cock out, arching his hips forward so he could grab them both in one large hand. The pleasure was intense. Iruka could hardly focus on anything with both men ravishing him with their attentions. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka reached down with his own hand, moving Tenzo's out of the way so he could take over stroking both of their erections. Tenzo moaned softly, a wonderfully sinful noise that made Iruka shiver. He pumped his hand steadily, not stopping as Tenzo reached a hand over his side to reach for Kakashi. He couldn't tell exactly what Tenzo was doing, but judging by the sounds the older man was making by his ear… it was something similar to their situation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's arm was moving faster over Iruka's side, and Kakashi's moans were getting </span>
  <em>
    <span>much </span>
  </em>
  <span>louder. Iruka was a bit shocked at how vocal the man could be, since he was relatively quiet most other times. He sped up his own ministrations, flexing his hips and trying not to thrust up into his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo wasn't successful in </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>attempts, his hips moved forward, his breaths coming out shaky and loud. Kakashi's fingers dug into Iruka's back, the older man fighting to find something to grip onto as he shuddered and moaned behind him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moaned out Tenzo's name, finishing first as Tenzo's arm slowed a bit to work him through it. The moan was so unfairly attractive, and Iruka found himself spilling over the edge shortly after, his release pooling over his hand and Tenzo's throbbing dick. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His hand faltered, but he managed to keep enough of a rhythm for Tenzo to finish too, only a little bit after Iruka's orgasm finally subsided. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's bones melted into goo, and he sighed softly when he was finally able to rest his arm again. Kakashi was leaving sweet kisses on his back, and Tenzo was quietly tracing patterns into his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi had been more than kind with him in all of this. They were taking things slowly, (which of course, Iruka </span>
  <em>
    <span>definitely</span>
  </em>
  <span> needed) and weren't trying to rush him into sex. It was something he had honestly never experienced before. His only </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>relationship had been with Mizuki… though he wasn't honestly sure that their situation even qualified as a </span>
  <em>
    <span>relationship. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>These two had done so much for him, and what had he done? He withheld information from them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Important </span>
  </em>
  <span>information, probably. Because if they had found Iruka at work, they undoubtedly had followed him from his new home. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Their </span>
  </em>
  <span>home. The very thought of putting these two in danger cut straight through his afterglow and chilled his bones. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo had just finished cleaning them up with a towel. Iruka hadn't even been aware that either of them had retrieved it. Kakashi was once again snuggled up to his back, and both men had arms around him. Iruka took a deep breath, steeling himself for the inevitably uncomfortable conversation they were about to have. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I need to talk to you guys about something." He announced quietly. Iruka regretted his serious tone immediately. Kakashi pulled away from his back, removing his arm. Tenzo's entire body tensed, his arm also leaving Iruka's side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's expression said it all. They thought Iruka regretted what they had just done. Of course they would think that. Why wouldn't they? Iruka had just experienced his first sexual encounter with two other men, and then immediately announced something like </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's not related to what we just did." Iruka clarified quickly. "I enjoyed that </span>
  <em>
    <span>a lot. </span>
  </em>
  <span>It's related to Mizuki." He said, exhaling sharply. He was so nervous that they would be angry. It would be more than deserved if they asked him to move, or at the very least kicked him out of their bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo relaxed a bit, nodding softly and replacing his hand on Iruka's skin. After a moment, Kakashi moved in close again as well. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it?" Kakashi asked quietly, his hands tentatively flexing over the tanned skin of Iruka's back. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's found me." Iruka said plainly. Tenzo tensed again, his hand protectively firm on Iruka's side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's voice was different when he spoke again. It was darker, deeper with a dangerous edge to it. "What do you mean? Did something happen?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka cleared his throat, swallowing nervously. "He called the gym two days ago to threaten me." </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Two days ago?" </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kakashi asked, a growl in his voice. Iruka flinched inwardly at the tone, his body shaking a bit as he tried to force himself to give the rest of the information. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"A-and yesterday… two of his friends signed up for memberships while I was on lunch. They stayed the whole rest of the day watching me work." Iruka finished, his voice wavering and unsure as both men tightened their grips on him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's eyes flickered over his shoulder, and Iruka knew they were communicating in some way. The brunette nodded sharply, removing his hands from Iruka's body and leaving the bed without a word. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's world was suddenly growing colder. He had upset them, and he wasn't sure it was something he could really fix. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Kakashi's arm was completely around him, pulling him close and pushing him onto his back simultaneously. Once he was face-to-face with the older man, he found it difficult to meet his gaze. Shame burned through him, forcing him to at least look at the man who had done so much to protect him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What he found when he locked onto those dark steel eyes was unexpected. He was prepared for anger, but was instead met with worry. Kakashi leaned over him, one hand smoothing his hair away from his face while the other supported his weight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka… we're not upset with you. I know you had your reasons as to why you didn't tell us sooner. It's okay. We understand." Kakashi spoke gently, his finger still threaded in Iruka's long brown hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt the tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so sorry." He whispered. "I just didn't want to worry you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The corner of Kakashi's mouth upturned into a small smile. "I know. Tenzo went through the same thing right before the end of the Anbu program. He didn't want to tell me that Danzo was trying to get him back. It's normal to feel like you are a burden… but I assure you, you are not. We care about you. Your safety and happiness is important to us." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's tears fell freely, small sniffles forcing their way out as he tried to keep breathing steady. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's face remained soft, but his voice was firm. "Now, what are the names of Mizuki's friends?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka told Kakashi all about Fujin and Raijin, and when Tenzo finally returned to the room, Kakashi grabbed his phone and left. Thankfully, Tenzo was there to fill the void of Kakashi's sudden absence. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"He's going to call Gai and tell him to pull their membership. Don't worry." Tenzo said with a soft smile. Iruka was sitting up at this point, his legs crossed and his face still wet from crying. Tenzo reached over, cupping Iruka's face and wiping his cheeks with his thumbs. "You are really okay with what we did?" Tenzo asked quietly, his eyes searching Iruka's for any sign that he was uncomfortable with his affection. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka huffed a laugh, moving one hand up to place it over Tenzo's. "Trust me, I loved it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's smile widened. "Good." He replied as he shifted closer, readjusting so he was sitting directly next to Iruka instead of across from him. A large warm arm wrapped around Iruka's back, pulling him in to Tenzo's side. "You'll tell us if something else happens, right?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, still feeling his earlier shame as his face reddened. "Of course. I promise I won't do that again. I know that this means he has found out where we live. It's not fair to the both of you to keep things like this to myself." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo held him tight. "I'm not worried about </span>
  <em>
    <span>us. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Kakashi and I can handle anything he wants to try. But I </span>
  <em>
    <span>am </span>
  </em>
  <span>worried about </span>
  <em>
    <span>you. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I don't want that asshole to make things difficult for you ever again. He doesn't deserve to have someone as pure as you in his life." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of knocking on the door of the penthouse echoed all the way through to the bedroom. Iruka tensed, but Tenzo rubbed a strong hand along his back. "We should get dressed now. We have company." Tenzo said with a soft smile, leaning down to kiss Iruka one more time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Tenzo wasn't worried or surprised about whoever had shown up, then there was no reason for Iruka to be. He tried to relax, throwing some clothes on and walking out into the hallway with Tenzo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi was by the front door, accompanied by two men Iruka had never met. The shorter one to the right had long black hair tied back in a low ponytail. His face was calm and peaceful, but his black eyes were obviously assessing him as they walked up. The other one, the taller man to the left, had short, wavy black hair and despite his serious face, Iruka could tell he was much more laid back than the other. Both of them looked strong, dangerous even, but stood easily next to Kakashi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both strangers watched him carefully as he walked up, only breaking their gaze as Tenzo started to speak. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shisui, Itachi. It's been a while." Tenzo said with a fond smile. The shorter one nodded, but the other one broke into a grin and moved forward quickly. So quickly, in fact, that by the time Iruka flinched, he was already hugging Tenzo. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Tenzo! It's been too long." The man announced jovially. Tenzo appeared to only accept the hug reluctantly, pushing the man away roughly after a moment. At first, the situation appeared tense, but Tenzo's exasperated smile put Iruka at ease again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shisui, stop hugging me </span>
  <em>
    <span>every time </span>
  </em>
  <span>we see each other." Tenzo lectured, though it didn't seem very effective since the other man was still grinning mischievously. Shisui chuckled, and both men turned back to Iruka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui held a hand out. "I'm Shisui Uchiha, and this is Itachi. We work for the Konoha police department." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Vaguely, Iruka recalled the names from Tenzo's tales of Root and Anbu. These were the final members of their platoon that he had yet to meet. Iruka shook the offered hand, trying his best not to seem weak or out of place. "I'm Iruka Umino. It's nice to meet you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He noticed how warm the man's hand was, and finally remembered that he was one of the other survivors of the serum that Tenzo had been given for weather resistance.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi smiled at him, moving forward and shaking his hand as well. He seemed much quieter and calmer than his partner. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No need to be so nervous." Shisui said suddenly. Iruka had thought that he was doing a good job hiding it. In fact, he was </span>
  <em>
    <span>certain </span>
  </em>
  <span>he was. This man was </span>
  <em>
    <span>very </span>
  </em>
  <span>observant. "I'm sure Kakashi and Tenzo have told you </span>
  <em>
    <span>all </span>
  </em>
  <span>about us. It's okay. We're here to help." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka paused for a moment. He knew what he meant, but also knew that he wasn't allowed to admit that he knew anything. "Sorry." He replied, a blush on his face. "I'm afraid your name hasn't come up." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui laughed loudly, his face still covered in a bright smile. His attitude was infectious, and Iruka fought the urge to smile back. "I like him." The man replied, gesturing towards Iruka while he looked at Kakashi. "He's funny."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi sighed, looking between Shisui and Kakashi. "Captain, may we discuss the reason we have been called here?" He said seriously. Kakashi nodded, leading everyone over to the couches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi explained everything that had happened since Iruka's breakup. The bar incident, the new car, the new phone, the incident after Tenzo's fight, </span>
  <em>
    <span>everything. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka simply watched as his friend recounted a tale that spoke strongly of stalking and ill intent. The two police officers listened carefully, their eyes never leaving Kakashi as he spoke. Their respect for him was obvious, but their undivided attention spoke to the fact that Kakashi had been their captain. Everyone he had met from their Anbu days still acted as if the chain of command had never been broken. Iruka found it peculiar how something like that could remain even </span>
  <em>
    <span>years</span>
  </em>
  <span> after they had retired. It was interesting to watch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Kakashi was finished talking, Shisui spoke. "I found your red Mazda. It belonged to a man named Kidomaru. I towed and impounded his car, and he's currently sitting in a cell at my jailhouse." The man turned to Iruka, his face serious instead of playful as it was before. "Do you know him?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, swallowing nervously. Kidomaru was a jerk. One that Mizuki had invited over often. The man always drank heavily, pushing Iruka around while Mizuki laughed. The more people that crawled back from Iruka's relationship with Mizuki, the more he realized that he had allowed himself to become some sort of joke to Mizuki's gang of thugs. "He's one of Mizuki's friends. He's always been an asshole." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He looked to Tenzo, and felt guilty. Kidomaru had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hit Tenzo with a car. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Yes, Tenzo appeared to have handled it just fine… but that didn't ease his guilt. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo reached over, placing a warm hand over the one Iruka had lying in his lap. "It's okay, Iruka. I'm fine." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I trust you'll keep us informed, captain?" Itachi spoke, his voice soft but steady. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded sharply. "Of course. I owe you for this."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui clicked his tongue, his eyes once again lighting mischievously. "Sorry, but you </span>
  <em>
    <span>already </span>
  </em>
  <span>owed me. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Now </span>
  </em>
  <span>you owe me double." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi narrowed his eyes, but his tone remained light. "And just </span>
  <em>
    <span>how </span>
  </em>
  <span>did I already owe you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui smiled, leaning forward and poking a finger to the scar by Kakashi's eye. Iruka almost laughed. The rest of their crew seemed to keep out of Kakashi's personal space, but it appeared that Shisui couldn't care less about that. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>an eye there." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, swatting Shisui's hand away playfully. "If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have been ambushed in the first place."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You can't prove that the fire is what alerted them to our presence!" Shisui called out jokingly, laughing as Itachi just shook his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That fire alerted </span>
  <em>
    <span>everyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>in a 30 mile radius!" Tenzo announced from the side, his eyes filled with laughter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui laughed even harder, recalling something in his head that Iruka didn't quite follow. "Well, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>still </span>
  </em>
  <span>owe me. I'm thinking that I could use a nice dinner. Make me something delicious, okay?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, shaking his head. "Fine."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm inviting everyone from team Ro, though. I hear Anko is back, and I'm dying to meet up with her." Shisui said with a smile. Itachi frowned at him, but Shisui waved him off. "Come on, Itachi. He obviously knows about it already." He said, shooting a meaningful look at Iruka. "Even if he's not allowed to admit it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. How was he supposed to respond to that? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Fine. Invite everyone if you want. I'll make something nice. All of you have been really helpful." Kakashi reluctantly agreed, reaching over and threading his fingers between Iruka's to reassure him. Both his hands were now held by one of them, which he knew hadn't escaped the attention of the other men. Shisui smiled at him knowingly, winking as he stood up. "It was nice to meet you, Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi nodded his agreement, standing up to join his partner as he spoke. "We will see if we can find out what his plan is, and hopefully get this all sorted out quickly." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before the two left, Shisui popped his head in the door one last time. "Oh, and Captain? You look good without the mask." He said with a wink, closing the door and leaving the three of them alone again. Kakashi was blushing furiously, and Tenzo just chuckled. "He's just as big of a handful now as he was then. Are we really going to have the entire crew here?" Tenzo asked, walking forward to pull the older man into his arms. Iruka watched the sweet display from his seat on the couch. Even though Kakashi was clearly the one in charge of things, it was nice to see how often Tenzo calmed the other man. He imagined that they must have made an amazing team back in the day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah. I guess so. It's been 8 years since we were all in one place." Kakashi mused, melting into Tenzo's arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo shook his head, chuckling again softly. "This is going to be complete chaos." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi hummed his agreement. "Probably." </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Woohoo! We've officially met the entire team Ro! Now let's see if we can keep them in one room without destroying the penthouse 😆😘</p><p>Let me know what you think! I tried very hard to get another update out while I was feeling still motivated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Once Shisui and Itachi were gone, Iruka needed to get ready for work. He was a bit surprised when he couldn't seem to do anything without one of the two men stopping him to kiss him or give him attention. It was nice. He felt wanted in a way he hadn't ever felt before. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mizuki had treated him wonderfully for the first month of their relationship. It only took that long for him to dig his hooks in. Thinking back on how naive he had been… Iruka frowned. He had believed it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>his </span>
  </em>
  <span>fault that their relationship had crumbled, and struggled to try and make Mizuki love him again. Of course, now he knew that it had been Mizuki's plan all along. He wanted a </span>
  <em>
    <span>toy </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he could throw around, fuck, and would cater to his every need in the process. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He had succeeded, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it made Iruka sick to think about. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A warm hand on his shoulder drew him back from his thoughts. Tenzo's deep brown eyes were watching him, as if they could read his thoughts if they stared intensely enough. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright?" Tenzo asked softly. Iruka nodded slowly, looking away shamefully. "Yes. Just thinking."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo hummed, pulling Iruka into a strong hug. He melted into the embrace, the heat emanating from the man relaxing him to his core. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's just… thinking about Kidomaru has reminded me how bad I let things get. Most of Mizuki's friends had a lot of fun at my expense. That one… used to push me around a lot. He liked to knock me into tables and walls." Iruka admitted, blushing in shame. Tenzo's grip on him tightened. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka… I know I'll never be able to convince you, but it's not your fault. It never was." Tenzo murmured, dropping his face into Iruka's hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once Iruka had calmed down again, he was finally able to finish getting ready for work. He wasn't all that surprised when both men walked him to the gym, and was grateful for the company. He knew that without them there, he would be constantly looking around for white hair and evil grins. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Both men kissed him goodbye at the door, allowing him to at least walk in on his own. Iruka was happy about that, because Obito was waiting for him, leaning against the desk with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. He's angry with me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka hadn't meant to cause problems… but now he had cost the gym money. He knew the numbers. Two memberships to the gym brought in a good chunk of change. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He immediately moved a hand to rub at the scar on his nose, trying his best to think up a proper apology for the man who was watching him with angry black eyes. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Obito… I-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." Obito snapped, moving forward to meet him halfway to the desk. Iruka flinched at the tone, but practically jumped out of his skin when the man's strong arms wrapped him up tightly. "You should have just told me. I would have never let them set foot in the gym." The man spoke quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka exhaled loudly, shocked at the turn in events. "What?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito pulled away slightly, his eyes glazed over with emotion. "Don't ever keep anything like that from me again. You're my </span>
  <em>
    <span>friend</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Iruka. No one who wants to hurt you will be allowed in here. Ever." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito's gaze snapped back towards the door. "Speaking of which…" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gai rounded the corner from the office, stalking towards the front door with determination etched on his face. Obito was quick to let Iruka go, moving with the owner away from him. "Stay there, Iruka." Obito spoke softly, not removing his eyes from the front entrance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as Iruka turned, he understood. Fujin and Raijin were walking up the path to the door. All of the blood rushed from Iruka's face as Gai and Obito blocked their path, standing straight and making an intimidating sight. Iruka couldn't hear them, but knew that they were informing them of their cancelled membership. The brothers didn't look happy, and shot a less-than-impressed look towards Iruka as he watched from inside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn't appear interested in fighting the two owners, and walked away angrily. Gai stayed out to watch them leave, while Obito returned inside to Iruka. The older man handed him a walkie-talkie, pressing it into his hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Keep this hooked to your belt. Gai and I are the only ones that have one. If someone comes in here that is here to cause trouble, hold this red button. An alarm will go off on our end and we will be here immediately, okay?" Obito explained, his eyes filled with worry. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's eyes glazed over as he closed his fist around the small device. He nodded, making sure to meet Obito's gaze. He had clearly underestimated how caring the other two men could be. Kakashi and Tenzo chose their friends wisely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito turned to walk back into the office, but paused in the doorway. "Oh, and Iruka? Please let me know if anything else is wrong. If… if you thought I wouldn't understand…" Obito spoke softly, looking down to the floor. "Well... let's just say my great uncle Madara is a piece of shit, and I lived with him for six years. I get it." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka moved to him quickly, catching him by the arm before he could disappear into the office. Obito looked up, locking eyes with him. The emotional depths of those black eyes would never cease to amaze him. Iruka smiled fondly at the other man. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His friend. </span>
  </em>
  <span>"Thank you, Obito. You're a good friend." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito huffed a silent laugh, his usual smile returning to his face before stepping into the office. Gai brushed past him, stopping just long enough to give him a bright smile and a thumbs up, and Iruka returned to his post at the desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That night, after Iruka went home and the three of them ate dinner, Iruka returned to his room with a sigh. It seemed that every moment of his work day had been him watching the door for more of Mizuki's friends. He was stressed out, and badly needed some sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was in his boxers and in bed when a soft knock sounded from his door. "Come in!" He called out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo walked in quietly, closing the door behind them. They didn't say anything, and for some reason, that worried Iruka. It shouldn't have… because Kakashi immediately crawled into the bed, curling up next to Iruka and covering himself with blankets. Iruka laughed when Tenzo followed closely behind him, moving to his other side and snuggling in close. Apparently, they were inviting themselves to share his bed. He didn't mind it one bit. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The next day was apparently going to be Shisui's dinner, and Iruka was nervous. He had met all of them before, but that didn't make him feel any better. They were all elite ex-soldiers. Each and every one of them strong, and skilled in ways Iruka could only wish he was. He was the odd man out, a civilian. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo were reassuring him every step of the way, excitedly telling him stories about their crew. Their enthusiasm put him at ease a bit. They both seemed like they really missed having the team together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo had just started on dinner when the first guest arrived. Iruka opened the door and greeted Sai, who he recognized from their trip to the bank. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Mr. Umino, it's nice to see you again." The young man said politely. It was hard to believe that he was a year younger than Iruka, and had retired from the military 8 years prior. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka chuckled. "Please, just call me Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man nodded politely. "Alright, Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi greeted Sai warmly, and the man went to sit on one of the couches. He appeared to have an art set with him, and immediately set himself up to do some sort of painting. Iruka was going to go sit and chat with him, but another guest was already knocking. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Zabuza and Haku were on the other side when Iruka opened the door. Haku went to sit with Sai, and Iruka seemed to recall that the two were the same age. Zabuza on the other hand, went to give Tenzo and Kakashi a hard time in the kitchen. Iruka couldn't help but chuckle when he heard Kakashi threatening to cut the man if he insulted his vegetable slicing one more time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things got loud as Shisui and Itachi showed up next. The taller one burst into the penthouse as soon as Iruka opened the door, while Itachi greeted Iruka properly. Yugao was walking down the hallway right behind them, so he waited at the door for her too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui was hugging everyone around, which apparently included Iruka. The man ambushed him after he shut the door, even as Itachi was quietly asking him to calm down. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka! Nice to see you again!" The warm man practically yelled as Iruka's feet were lifted off the ground. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled, laughing uncontrollably at the cop's enthusiasm. "Nice to see you too." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anko was the last to arrive, walking in and inciting the older Uchiha immediately. "Anko, you beautiful bitch! Get over here!" He shouted happily. Iruka had never seen a smile so large on Anko's face as her and Shisui met in the middle of the room. Yugao and Anko's reunion wasn't as loud, but they were equally excited. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo had joined everyone in the front room, having let Zabuza take his place in the kitchen. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka felt much more comfortable than he expected. Sai, Haku, and Itachi were all conversing on the couch, Tenzo was trapped in another one of Shisui's hugs, and Anko was sharing stories with him and Yugao. They all were comfortable around each other in a way that Iruka would probably never understand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Things calmed down a bit once the food was ready. They all sat at the new table that Tenzo had delivered that morning. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The food was delicious, and everyone was getting along nicely. They all shared stories and reminisced about their past missions together, disregarding the fact that Iruka wasn't supposed to know. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Remember the time Yugao almost blew us all up in Wind country?" Zabuza said with a toothy smile. The woman in question blushed brightly, while several others laughed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>also </span>
  </em>
  <span>remember that </span>
  <em>
    <span>somebody </span>
  </em>
  <span>was rushing her to get the door unlocked." Tenzo said with a pointed smirk in Zabuza's direction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, yeah." The chef said dismissively. "It was only because Anko had already almost blown our cover." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anko squeaked defensively. "Oh, </span>
  <em>
    <span>whatever! </span>
  </em>
  <span>I did not!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You kind of did." Sai added with a grin, while Kakashi chuckled at the end of the table. Both Kakashi and Tenzo looked excessively happy to have the company. Iruka imagined it must have been difficult to fight and grow alongside a certain group of people for so long, only to have everyone go their separate ways. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"This is nice." Iruka spoke suddenly, drawing the attention of the entire group. "You guys should do this more often." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui beamed at him. "What an excellent idea, Iruka. I agree with you. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>also </span>
  </em>
  <span>think we should get together at the gym. I believe I'm owed a </span>
  <em>
    <span>rematch.</span>
  </em>
  <span>"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi groaned from the head of the table. "I beat you fair and square, Shisui… and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>eight years ago.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Come to think of it, I want a rematch too!" Anko shouted, pointing at Yugao across the table. The entire group erupted into chaos, all of them arguing lightheartedly over who was stronger than who. It was comical to watch, even as Tenzo and Zabuza stood up to argue with each other. The only one who didn't appear to want to fight with anyone was Itachi, who passively watched the developments while finishing his food.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright! That's it!" Tenzo said with a determined smile, putting his empty plate in the sink and walking over to the couches. He shoved the first one up in front of the wall of windows, and Zabuza was next to him in an instant. "I like your style, Tenzo." The man said with a laugh, helping the brunette push the second couch out of the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shisui and Yugao were up as well, their plates deserted in the sink as they moved side tables and lamps out of the way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's eyebrows raised as they cleared the floor, working together so they could apparently have a brawl in the penthouse. Everyone was talking and challenging each other as Iruka took a seat on one of the couches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Alright, listen up!" Kakashi's voice boomed out commandingly. The entire room went silent, each one of them watching their captain intently. Tenzo stood to his left, a pillar of support as he waited with his arms crossed. It was obvious even to Iruka that he was used to being second in command. Kakashi using his "captain voice" was easily one of the hottest things he had ever heard. He wondered if the man had ever used it in the bedroom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Here are the rules." Kakashi spoke sharply, looking over his crew. "One fight at a time. No weapons. Leaving the room disqualifies you. Hitting the couches or moving any closer than that to the windows disqualifies you. Don't get too loud, and try not to break all of our shit. We're gonna go youngest to oldest, and typical sparring rules apply. Itachi will determine the winner. Any objections?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The room remained silent. After a moment, Kakashi nodded towards Sai, who moved forward with a short bow of his own. "Captain." He said politely. "I would like to challenge Haku." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The middle of the room cleared quickly. Between the two couches, everyone aside from Haku, Sai, and Kakashi were able to sit comfortably. The captain remained standing even though there was room for him to sit, his face serious as he took on a position to the side of the couch. Iruka assumed he was prepared to interfere if things became too intense.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sai and Haku stood across from each other, bowing swiftly before moving to a defensive position. Iruka could tell they both had a large amount of skill, even with retiring at the tender age of 15. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sai was fast, flashing into Haku's space with inhuman speed. Iruka had a hard time tracking their movements as they moved, blocking and dealing out hits with focused intent. Sai caught Haku in the gut with a closed fist, but they quickly knocked the younger man to the ground. All of Sai's breath left him in a loud whoosh, and Haku was on him before he could recover. Once Sai was pinned, Itachi spoke. "Match. Winner is Haku." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There were no arguments or pleas to continue, both of which Iruka expected. Despite their rowdiness, the group was extremely respectful. Kakashi turned to Haku. "Would you like to challenge anyone, or are you satisfied?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm satisfied, Captain." Haku answered with a nod. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Anko." Kakashi spoke sharply. Iruka had known Anko for a long time, and had never seen her treat someone with the respect that she treated Kakashi with. She stood, and bowed swiftly. "I would like to challenge Yugao." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded, watching as both women took their place in the middle of the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Anko was a lot scarier than Iruka had expected. Her and Yugao were brutal, tossing each other across the room like they </span>
  <em>
    <span>weren't </span>
  </em>
  <span>old friends. Iruka made a mental note never to piss her off again as she threw Yugao over towards the kitchen table and pounced on her. They grappled for a bit on the ground, but Anko eventually pinned her. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Match. Anko is the winner." Itachi spoke confidently. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yugao?" Kakashi asked, watching the purple haired woman intensely. She simply shook her head, catching her breath as she returned to the couch. His attention turned to Tenzo, who had been sitting quietly next to Iruka. The brunette stood swiftly. "I challenge Zabuza." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The older man chuckled dangerously, standing up from where he was sitting with Haku. Iruka worried about this fight. Both men were large, and could probably do a lot of damage. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He was right. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Zabuza and Tenzo were fast, just as fast as the younger and smaller fighters… if not faster. But aside from that, they were doing things a lot different. They weren't going for pins. They were punching each other in the face, bare knuckles and all, and kicking each other across the room. At some point, Zabuza's mouth was bleeding, even as he grinned maniacally at the younger man. Iruka wondered how far the fight was allowed to go. Zabuza shoved Tenzo into the wall, caving in the drywall behind his back. Iruka covered his mouth with both hands, afraid for his friend. Tenzo recovered though, pushing out of the new hole in the wall and driving his fist into the side of Zabuza's face. His leg swung around, sweeping the older man off of his feet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The chef didn't get up. He laid on the ground, laughing. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Match. Winner is Tenzo." Itachi called out. Iruka watched as Tenzo smiled, his own mouth full of blood as he held out a hand to pull Zabuza from the ground. The raven-haired man patted him on the back. "Good fight, Tenzo." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You too, Zabuza." The brunette answered. Neither of them appeared to be bothered by their injuries. Iruka couldn't help but wonder what the hell kind of training they had gone through. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shisui." Kakashi said, taking a position in the middle of the room even as he waited for the younger man's answer. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The Uchiha laughed, springing from the couch quickly. "I challenge </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Captain."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi rolled his eyes. "I figured." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Shisui's fight wasn't like anything Iruka had ever seen before. They started immediately, both moving much faster than any of the others had. They threw punches, dodged others, and danced around the room gracefully. They took turns advancing against the other, one of them moving forward while the other dodged away. Iruka winced as Shisui's fist went through the wall, though it didn't appear to slow him down at all. They circled each other, rolling and showing an insane athleticism as the group hooted and hollered from the couches. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi full-on tackled the younger man against the wall, putting another human-sized hole in the sheetrock on the opposite side of the one that Tenzo had made. Shisui gripped Kakashi's shoulders, twisting his back and throwing Kakashi to the floor. Shisui fell with him, and they were both twisting and grappling on the floor, right up until Kakashi finally managed to pin his arms above his head. Iruka thought it was over, but Itachi said nothing, so he continued to watch. Shisui wrapped Kakashi up with his legs, spinning them both and sending them into another brawl across the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The speed of their attacks was too fast for Iruka to fully follow, but he knew immediately when Kakashi had finally trapped Shisui on his stomach on the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Match. The winner is Kakashi." Itachi spoke softly. Shisui stopped struggling, and flattened himself on the floor. "Damn." He muttered breathlessly. "I thought I was gonna get you that time." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi chuckled, letting the younger man up from the floor. Iruka had a new respect for these people and their talents. The silver-haired man walked over to him, obviously exhausted, and dropped right into Iruka's lap. He wrapped the man up with a chuckle, listening as the man attempted to catch his breath again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good fight, Senpai." Tenzo mumbled softly, watching him with obvious admiration. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi huffed a laugh. "We're going to have to call someone to fix the holes in the wall." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I can send someone out here tomorrow." Yugao commented absently, staring at the ruined walls. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Thank you. We appreciate that." Tenzo said with a smile. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>After another round of storytelling, it was late enough that everyone decided to leave. Anko and Shisui both gave Iruka hugs before leaving, and most of the rest greeted him warmly before they took off. Surprisingly, Sai gave him a hug as well, though Iruka was under the impression that he had only done it because the others had. Either way, he appreciated the sentiment. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the penthouse was once again clear, Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. "I missed the team… but they can be a bit overwhelming." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo walked up behind him, wrapping his arms around Kakashi's slim waist and nuzzling into the nape of his neck. The captain hummed his approval, leaning back into the embrace. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." Kakashi mumbled, and the younger man met his gaze. "Did you want to join us in my room tonight? My bed is much more comfortable." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka thought about it for a moment. Kakashi was right. His bed </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>much more comfortable… though he wasn't sure he would be able to contain himself if he was in the same bed as the other two tonight. The raw display of power that he had witnessed today was nothing short of arousing. Iruka had never thought he would be turned on by such a thing, considering his </span>
  <em>
    <span>last </span>
  </em>
  <span>relationship… but these two just made it look </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Iruka shook himself out of his thoughts, looking up to meet both sets of dark eyes. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why should he care if he can't control himself? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka liked them. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Both</span>
  </em>
  <span> of them… and they obviously liked him too. His body was more than ready to hang all over them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay." Iruka said with a smile, following both men into their bedroom. Even if they didn't end up doing anything inappropriate, he would at least get some nice and cozy cuddling time out of it.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, now we know what happens when the crew gets together... controlled chaos! I had the gathering and the brawling planned out for a while... it was actually something my husband and his brothers used to do when the parents weren't home. <br/>Things should pick up after this one, with a but more drama!<br/>And probably some smut! 🤣</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hey! So it's been a while! So sorry... it will probably continue to be slow as some event-heavy months approach. I'm still actively working on these... just alongside many MANY event pieces. Thanks for waiting... I hope this is worth it!</p><p>It's smut. All smut. Finally, all of the build-up has come to this. Enjoy! And let me know what you think! 😘<br/>After this chapter, the actual plot should move a bit faster.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Tenzo settled in beside Iruka with a smile. He hadn't intended for anything to happen, but couldn't stop his hands from roaming soft tanned skin. Iruka melted into his hold, his back pressed firmly up against Tenzo's chest. Kakashi crawled up in front of their guest, not hesitating to move into Iruka's space to claim his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo's hands smoothed over Iruka's abs. The man was in far better shape than he had given himself credit for. He was a beautiful man, full of life and an inherent innocence that drew both ex-Anbu in like a moth to a flame. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo kissed the soft skin of Iruka's shoulders, listening to the man gasp as Kakashi bit his lower lip. Tenzo chuckled in his ear, his warm breath ghosting over his skin, and not missing how the action sent a shiver through Iruka's body. The younger man wanted them so badly, yet held himself back. They understood… </span>
  <em>
    <span>of course </span>
  </em>
  <span>they understood… but they were going crazy as well. Iruka was a tempting man, driving both of them up the wall without even realizing it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." Tenzo murmured into his ear, nibbling on the skin just below it. "Do you want this?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They had been refraining from asking him yet. Truthfully, they were afraid of being a rebound for the younger man. They were already far too attached to him, and it would hurt if he rejected them. Kakashi and Tenzo wanted Iruka to stay with them, to </span>
  <em>
    <span>be </span>
  </em>
  <span>with them… but they would settle for giving him an insurmountable amount of pleasure. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Hmm?" Iruka asked, cleverly trying to deduce the underlying question. But they weren't ready for that yet. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you want us to make you feel good?" Tenzo cooed, angling his wandering hands down towards Iruka's shorts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded softly, leaning back into Tenzo heavily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you prefer to </span>
  <em>
    <span>top? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Or </span>
  <em>
    <span>bottom?</span>
  </em>
  <span>" Kakashi asked, his voice low and feral. Iruka froze, and it suddenly occurred to Tenzo that he probably hadn't had an actual choice in the matter for at least 5 years. He could guarantee that Mizuki wasn't the type to let them switch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Which would you like for now?" Tenzo asked, changing the question to something a little less personal. "We can always switch it up </span>
  <em>
    <span>next time.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The promise of a next time, and the offering of an actual choice in the matter seemed to calm Iruka down. His muscles relaxed again, and Tenzo rewarded him by mouthing along his neck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'd like to… bottom." Iruka answered, unsure of himself. </span>
  <em>
    <span>They would have to work on that</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"As you wish." Kakashi replied with a grin, moving in close again to tease Iruka's mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Since Iruka was new to this situation, they would take it easy on him. Only one of them would actually have sex with Iruka this time. Tenzo waited for his orders, continuing a mouthy trail down Iruka's warm skin. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm going to open you up, and then Tenzo will take care of you." Kakashi spoke loudly, his authoritative voice making Iruka shudder. They hadn't missed the fact that the younger man couldn't peel his eyes away as Kakashi ordered the team around. They were </span>
  <em>
    <span>trained </span>
  </em>
  <span>to notice things like that. Iruka's restless shifting on the couch might have been confused for discomfort… if it hadn't been for the slight dilation of his pupils. It was an interesting development, one that they would explore to the fullest. "Yes, Sir." Tenzo answered softly before dragging his tongue up between Iruka's shoulder blades. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi and Tenzo both turned Iruka so that he was facing Tenzo instead, the younger man accepting the direction readily. Even with his last relationship, Iruka appeared to enjoy being directed. Perhaps it was because Kakashi and Tenzo both did so without the use of force. They were gentle, yet commanding all the same. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was exactly the type of anxious person that could benefit from a slightly submissive relationship, which is exactly how Mizuki had gotten under his skin. They would never cross that line. They would </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>hurt Iruka. The man deserved to be given the whole world. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo kissed him, pressing against Iruka and allowing his tongue to explore the warm cavern of Iruka's mouth. He swallowed a gasp caused by Kakashi biting into the younger man's shoulder. Kakashi had always enjoyed using his teeth, and Tenzo had always appreciated the sharp feel of it. Apparently, Iruka did too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before Iruka had even caught his breath again, Kakashi was removing his shorts. With the clothes out of the way, Iruka's erection was pressed firmly into Tenzo's thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo moved to remove his own clothes, but paused when one of Kakashi's hands drifted over Iruka and towards his mouth. Tenzo accepted two pale fingers in his mouth, meeting the sultry gaze of his captain over Iruka's shoulders. Iruka's dark brown eyes were locked onto the fingers that Tenzo was sucking and rolling around his tongue, half-lidded and glazed over with lust and need.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn't do things with spit. It was never comfortable… not with the rather sizable equipment they had been endowed with. This whole thing was mostly for show… and to warm up Kakashi's cold fingers. Tenzo knew better than anyone how </span>
  <em>
    <span>shocking </span>
  </em>
  <span>it could be to have freezing fingers probing around your asscrack. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo didn't release the fingers until he was sure they were warm enough, allowing Kakashi to retreat back behind Iruka. The younger man was rocking his hips slightly, trying to gain some friction. They didn't intend to tease the man, so Tenzo didn't hesitate to reach down and grip Iruka's cock firmly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka moaned, dropping his head onto Tenzo's shoulder, just as the lid popped open on the lube. Kakashi was finishing up his preparations, and undoubtedly rubbing his dick on Iruka's perfect ass. Iruka's slightly darker skin was a wonderful contrast to Kakashi's, and Tenzo was certain that it was something he wanted to see for the rest of his life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo took the moment to get his own clothes off, undressing while Iruka dug his fingernails into his abs. He groaned, rocking his hips gently as he replaced his hand on Iruka's dripping erection. Iruka's head raised again, and then they were kissing. Iruka's lips were soft, and his mouth was warm and delicious. The man kissed him thoroughly, and passionately in a way that Tenzo hadn't quite expected, and the only pause was when Iruka's breath hitched as Kakashi pressed in the first  finger. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo pumped with his hand, working to distract Iruka's mind while Kakashi stretched him, meticulously working the muscles until the younger man was a writhing mess in Tenzo's arms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was like this that Iruka reached his first orgasm, spending over Tenzo's fingers while moaning into his mouth. It was beautiful, the man's sweaty bronze skin rubbing against his own. Tenzo brought his hand up to his mouth, tasting Iruka's come for himself. Iruka watched with wide eyes, the brown almost completely taken over by lust-dilated pupils. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo licked his fingers clean, then returned his hand to Iruka's body. Judging by the loud moans that started to leave Iruka's mouth again, Kakashi had added a third finger. Even with Tenzo, Kakashi had always been extra thorough with his preparations. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Please… please just fuck me." </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka begged, his voice like music to Tenzo's ears. Kakashi chuckled, and Iruka shivered as the older man slowly removed his fingers. Once Tenzo was sure Kakashi was out of the way, he growled, rolling Iruka onto his back. He lifted Iruka's hips, and Kakashi was already prepared, pushing a pillow beneath him to keep him elevated. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." Tenzo growled, positioning himself between the man's legs and kissing his thighs. "Are you sure?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded, watching Tenzo as he moved Iruka's legs up to his shoulders. Kakashi moved then, halfway leaning over Iruka's upper body to sweep the man up into a kiss. Iruka hummed into the kiss, his hands curling around Kakashi's back as the silver haired boxer pulled out his hair tie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight of them kissing distracted Tenzo momentarily. They were both beautiful, and sexy as all hell. Tenzo knew that Iruka didn't think very highly of himself. How </span>
  <em>
    <span>could </span>
  </em>
  <span>he, when Mizuki had spent the last five years breaking him down? But… Iruka was perfect. He was fit, and his skin was silky soft, and his voice flowed like smooth honey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi couldn't get enough of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's legs flexed over his shoulders, and tenzo was suddenly reminded of his positioning. He grabbed the bottle of lube, coating himself thoroughly before pressing the tip of his cock to Iruka's tight hole. The man's breath hitched as Tenzo pressed inside slowly, using every bit of his training to keep himself from rushing this. Iruka didn't need that. All the man needed was </span>
  <em>
    <span>pleasure. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's pale hand drifted down to Iruka's cock, which was hardening once again, and started stroking. Iruka's tense muscles started to relax, and Tenzo continued to push inside, meeting little resistance. Once his hips were flush with Iruka's ass, he paused, trying to control his accelerated breathing. Iruka was </span>
  <em>
    <span>so warm, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and unbelievably </span>
  <em>
    <span>tight</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka… you feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>so good.</span>
  </em>
  <span>" He murmured, leaving one hand on his hip and moving the other to wrap around Iruka's thigh. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka moaned in response, writhing as Kakashi mouthed along his neck and collarbone. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Hips pressed back against his, and Tenzo took that as his cue to move. He pulled out halfway, looking down to watch himself get swallowed again greedily by Iruka's tight ass as he pushed back in. The younger man was insanely responsive, crying out and moaning at every move he made. Tenzo set up a steady rhythm, fucking into Iruka like it was his job. In a way, it </span>
  <em>
    <span>was</span>
  </em>
  <span>. This was the mission Kakashi had assigned him, ordering him to take care of Iruka. Judging by the noises the man under him was making… he was doing exactly that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi stroked in time with Tenzo's thrusts, turning Iruka into an incoherent puddle as he drew closer and closer to the edge. Tenzo changed his angle a slight bit, driving himself straight into Iruka's prostate over and over until the younger man was once again coming. The tightening around his cock was too much, milking Tenzo for all he was worth as he came as well, filling Iruka's ass with his release. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The legs around his head shook as Iruka orgasmed for his second time, and Tenzo managed to get it together enough to kiss the sweaty skin of his legs near his face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo pulled out slowly, watching as his softening member left Iruka's wonderful body. He was so distracted that Kakashi's hand on his back startled him a bit. Kakashi was so quiet, and moved so quickly that it really shouldn't have been surprising. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo let Iruka's legs fall around him, and allowed Kakashi to guide him down so that he was laying over Iruka. Lukewarm hands trailed down his spine, sending tingles everywhere as he realized his captain's plan. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi was going to fuck him right on top of Iruka. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Instead of speaking, Tenzo kissed Iruka, their tongues dancing slowly as Kakashi popped the cap on the lube. Iruka didn't really seem aware of what was happening, not until Kakashi's fingers traced Tenzo's hole and his breath hitched. Iruka moved his head to the side, looking over Tenzo's shoulder, brown eyebrows rising as he spotted Kakashi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo didn't have time to chuckle at the man's surprise, because kakashi was pressing into him, talented fingers prepared to wring every ounce of pleasure from Tenzo's body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He groaned, lifting his hips a bit so that he wouldn't be pressing against Iruka's ass. Instead, he lined up their drained members, knowing that with the come and lube present, they could likely </span>
  <em>
    <span>both </span>
  </em>
  <span>orgasm again from the friction. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka kissed him, dragging his fingernails over Tenzo's scalp and distracting him wonderfully. Not that it was necessarily needed. Tenzo was already fairly relaxed in his post-orgasmic bliss… but he wouldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever </span>
  </em>
  <span>say no to kisses from Iruka. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He felt himself hardening again as Kakashi's fingers brushed against his prostate. The man was relentless in his quest, always giving and giving until Tenzo could hardly breathe. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried not to rest all of his weight on Iruka. He was much bulkier and heavier than the younger man, so he rested on his forearms, fingers dragging through Iruka's soft hair as they kissed. It became difficult at times… especially when his arms were shaking with the intensity of Kakashi's fingering. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, he had a moment to breathe. Kakashi deemed him sufficiently prepped, and removed his fingers one by one. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo made an extra effort to hold his own weight as Kakashi slowly pushed into his ass. He moaned loudly, his dick making every effort to harden again alongside Iruka's. The wandering hands and tongue in front of him were driving him mad, along with the pleasant stretching from behind. If he had already been hard, he would have come from just this. Even when they had shared partners before, it wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>this </span>
  </em>
  <span>intense. This was much different. This wasn't someone that they didn't plan on seeing again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>This was </span>
  <em>
    <span>Iruka</span>
  </em>
  <span>… someone who they both cared for dearly. Someone who Tenzo </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>he would never be able to get enough of, just like he could never get enough of Kakashi. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo had known all those years ago, as soon as Kakashi's lips met with his own, that he would never be able to leave this man's side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as he knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>now </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he wouldn't be able to let Iruka go. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo moaned, his cock dragging against Iruka's as Kakashi pressed in to the hilt. Warm hands ran along his sides, just as pale lips kissed softly between his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was getting hard again too, restlessly squirming beneath him as he waited for the two boxers to start moving again. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Kakashi." </span>
  </em>
  <span>Tenzo moaned loudly, prompting the man to start moving. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he acquiesced… it was almost too much. Between Iruka's body and the pillow beneath him, Tenzo's hips were at a </span>
  <em>
    <span>fantastic </span>
  </em>
  <span>angle for Kakashi to pound into him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Somewhere in the haze of his intense pleasure, Tenzo knew he was practically shouting, trapped between two bodies with four hands gripping his skin. He could register Kakashi's near-silent groans, and Iruka's near-frantic moaning of their names. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Fingers dug into his hips, as others clawed down his spine. He would be a mess of purple spots in the morning, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Not when Kakashi was relentlessly thrusting into his prostate and Iruka's cock was sliding smoothly against his own. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo came first, hardly able to hold himself up anymore, calling out Kakashi's name. The older man didn't stop, hardly even slowing down as Tenzo orgasmed all over Iruka's stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His body was warm, and sweaty, and deliciously sated as his arms finally gave out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>His forehead dropped to Iruka's chest, and he was fairly certain the younger man was coming again by the way his nails dug into Tenzo's shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi moaned quietly, pressing his lips to Tenzo's spine as he too found his release. His thrusts finally slowed to a stop, and Kakashi pulled out slowly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's arms were wrapped around him loosely, and Tenzo had to fight to open his eyes and lift his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka was awake, but barely. The man was clearly dazed, delirious with the amount of pleasure he had received, and Tenzo attempted to lift some of his weight off of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shockingly, Iruka tightened his grip, not allowing him to leave. Kakashi rolled to the side, leaving the bed to find something to clean up the overwhelming mess on the bed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I haven't come that much since I was a teenager." Iruka commented after a couple minutes, huffing a laugh. Tenzo chuckled, lifting his head to press chaste kisses to Iruka's face. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Get used to it. There's plenty more where that came from." Kakashi spoke happily, returning from the hallway with new sheets and a couple towels. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka finally allowed Tenzo to roll off of him. Tenzo's nose wrinkled at the sticky mess that they had created. Iruka was </span>
  <em>
    <span>covered, </span>
  </em>
  <span>and it took several minutes for Kakashi to help him clean himself off completely. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We're definitely going to need to shower." Iruka said with a laugh. "I just don't know if my legs will work right now. Maybe in the morning." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo chuckled, throwing an arm over the younger man's torso as Kakashi meticulously wiped him clean. Kakashi was a very generous lover, and always enjoyed taking care of his partners. It was something that Tenzo tried to emulate when the older man decided to be on the receiving end. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The most difficult part of the entire night was when Iruka and Tenzo had to stand up so Kakashi could change the filthy sheets. Tenzo did his best to support Iruka as he stood on shaky legs. It really wasn't all that effective, since Tenzo's body was swaying with exhaustion. Zabuza had done a number on him earlier, and the sex certainly had taken a lot out of him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was worth it to see the content smile on Iruka's face. When the sheets were changed, Iruka stretched out on the bed first, looking every bit like a satisfied house cat. "We should do that more often." He commented with a smile, unknowingly making Tenzo's heart beat just a bit faster. As he dropped bodily in the middle of the bed, he decided to take the leap. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'll do that </span>
  <em>
    <span>every night </span>
  </em>
  <span>if it makes you happy, Iruka." Tenzo replied, smiling at the younger man fondly. Iruka's eyes widened a fraction, and Tenzo felt the bed dip behind him as Kakashi joined them once again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Me too." The older man added, wrapping an arm around Tenzo's waist. "We like you a lot, Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka blushed brightly, and Tenzo pulled his pliant body closer. He didn't expect the man to return their sentiments. Not yet. Which is why he was surprised when Iruka spoke, almost too softly for them to hear. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I would love that. More than anything." The brunette replied, leaning into Tenzo's body. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They didn't reply, all three of them worn out. Instead Tenzo kissed Iruka's forehead, holding his lips against him for a minute. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was enough for now. They could save any confessions for later, when they weren't all drifting into what promised to be a heavy sleep. Tenzo's eyes drifted shut, and he fell asleep listening to the steady breathing of both of his lovers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kakashi woke when the sun rose, as he usually did. He left the bed, rubbing his eyes as he made a quick trip to the bathroom. None of them had anything to do today, and he intended to go straight back to sleep. Last night had been nothing short of wonderful. Never before had they experienced a partner as perfect for them as Iruka. The man completed them, and actually made Kakashi consider finally settling down and making his relationship with Tenzo official. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They hadn't talked about it yet, but Kakashi could see it reflected in his Kohai's eyes. Tenzo wanted this to be permanent. Badly. And Kakashi would be lying if he said he didn't want that too. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once he returned to the bedroom, he was surprised to see that neither of them had woken up with his movements. No doubt they were both extra tired.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi's eyes drifted over Tenzo's back. There were large bruises from where Zabuza had put him through the wall, and angry red scratches from Iruka's fingernails. His hips were littered with bruises as well. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even Tenzo,</span>
  </em>
  <span> who had an </span>
  <em>
    <span>insane </span>
  </em>
  <span>tolerance for pain and injuries, would likely be sore in the morning. Kakashi made a mental note to care for both of his lovers when they woke up, making plans for soothing showers and hot meals. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Settling back into bed, Kakashi made up his mind. He wanted this to be permanent. The three of them… together exclusively. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He knew Tenzo would agree in a heartbeat. But Iruka? He wasn't sure if the man was ready to commit to another relationship just yet. They could wait for him, if he needed them to. Of course, they would be disappointed if he denied them… but they would understand. Iruka </span>
  <em>
    <span>seemed </span>
  </em>
  <span>to want to be with them, and his words certainly had hinted at that last night… but things were often mistakenly said in the heat of the moment. Kakashi rested his face between Tenzo's broad shoulders, forcing himself to stop thinking about such things so he could fall back asleep. Even </span>
  <em>
    <span>if </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka said no, he wouldn't regret this time that they were spending together.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not in a million years. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Hey guys! So sorry for the late update! I knew where I wanted this chapter to end up, but couldn't think for the life of me what else I wanted in it. I hope the chapter is worth the wait, and I assure you that the next update won't take as long!</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Iruka woke to the smell of breakfast. He stretched, legs nearly tangled with Tenzo's. Surprisingly, he wasn't very sore from last night. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Ah… but why </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>would </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>he be? </span>
  </em>
  <span>Being with Kakashi and Tenzo was </span>
  <em>
    <span>nothing </span>
  </em>
  <span>like being with Mizuki. There was proper stretching and care with them. Mizuki, well… Iruka tried not to think about the painful sex they always seemed to have. Iruka had been with Mizuki so long that he had forgotten it </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn't normal </span>
  </em>
  <span>to experience so much pain during and after sex. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka's eyes opened, Tenzo was laying on his side, his face slightly bruised from his fight with Zabuza, and his brown eyes watching him peacefully. The older man seemed content to just lay and watch Iruka attempt to wake himself up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Good morning, Tenzo." Iruka murmured, continuing to stretch. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo hummed, his lips tilting into a mesmerizing smile. Like this, Tenzo was gorgeous. Even with his wonderful jawline purpling, and his shaggy brown hair adorably mussed from sleep. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A soft clinking drew his attention, and Iruka rolled onto his back. Kakashi was next to the bedside table, a tray full of food balanced in his hand and another resting on the small table. He appeared to be sorting things between them, but paused to smile at Iruka when he rolled over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ready for breakfast?" Kakashi spoke softly, finally done with whatever he was doing with the plates on the trays. Iruka sat up quickly, excited at the prospect of food. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You spoil us." Iruka replied, propping up pillows behind his back and accepting a platter. "Thank you, Kakashi." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi winked at him, his gray eyes shifting over to Tenzo, who was also in the process of sitting up. Silver eyebrows furrowed immediately, his expression switching from happy to concerned. "You're hurting." Kakashi commented, watching as Tenzo moved. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruke didn't see anything wrong. Tenzo appeared to be moving just as gracefully and silently as he always did, the brunet still smiling even as he met Kakashi's gaze. Iruka wondered what it was that Kakashi had seen, but accepted that the two men probably knew each other better than most people knew </span>
  <em>
    <span>themselves. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Not much." Tenzo replied easily, taking the other tray from Kakashi's hands. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka wondered what exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>"not much" </span>
  </em>
  <span>meant to a man like Tenzo. The guy had been hit by a car, after a particularly brutal boxing match… and had really seemed like he was just kind of sore. Maybe </span>
  <em>
    <span>"not much" </span>
  </em>
  <span>to someone like </span>
  <em>
    <span>him</span>
  </em>
  <span> was enough to put Iruka in the hospital. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still, Iruka decided not to prod, knowing that Kakashi would know if anything was worrisome or not. He dug in to the delicious food the older man had brought, while Kakashi himself crawled under the covers and snuggled up to his side. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all nicely domestic, the three of them relaxing in bed after the wonderful night they had. Really, there wasn't much more Iruka could possibly ask for.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Once the food was gone, Kakashi took the trays away, and Tenzo moved to take a shower. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Perhaps Iruka gasped louder than necessary when he saw Tenzo's back. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>To be fair, he wasn't used to seeing someone so… </span>
  <em>
    <span>purple. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The lightly tanned skin covering the muscles along Tenzo's spine was </span>
  <em>
    <span>severely </span>
  </em>
  <span>discolored, to the point where Iruka could hardly believe the man was moving. </span>
  <em>
    <span>He looked like he had been hit by a </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>truck</em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo shot him a reassuring smile, but disappeared into the bathroom quickly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Is he </span>
  <em>
    <span>okay</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Iruka asked Kakashi worriedly, frowning as the older man returned to the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi sighed, crossing his arms and leaning against his dresser. Iruka's eyes drifted down to the tight muscles of his arms, admiring the view. Apparently, he noticed Iruka's ogling, because he changed positions almost immediately. Kakashi was leaning back on his elbows, his full chest and abs perfectly on display as the boxer smirked dangerously at him. "Tenzo knows when he needs to seek medical attention. I trust his judgement." Kakashi answered confidently, though his smirk dampened a bit. "However, I do think he should take it easy for a day or two." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>That was easy enough. Once Tenzo was out of the shower, Kakashi and Iruka took turns cooing over him and letting him use them as pillows. Tenzo didn't seem to mind the attention one bit, happily cuddling the day away with his head in Iruka's lap and Kakashi's hands carefully massaging him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day went by quickly, and before Iruka knew it, the three of them were asleep again, with Tenzo nestled carefully between them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The next morning, Iruka almost hesitated to leave for work. First, because he was enjoying spending time with Tenzo and Kakashi. He had never felt so cherished and cared for </span>
  <em>
    <span>in his life</span>
  </em>
  <span> as he did with these two men. Second, he found it oddly suspicious that neither of them had offered to walk him to work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>It wasn't that Iruka was </span>
  <em>
    <span>nervous </span>
  </em>
  <span>to walk to work alone. It was </span>
  <em>
    <span>two blocks</span>
  </em>
  <span>… surely he could handle that, right? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nearly startled when he left the building and Sai was standing outside. The younger man smiled at him happily, and the brunet couldn't resist smiling back. "Sai? What brings you out and about?" Iruka asked with a light chuckle. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The raven-haired man tilted his head a bit, continuing to smile at him. Now that Iruka thought about it, he hadn't really noticed many people doing that before. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Anko</span>
  </em>
  <span> perhaps… but no one else. Not until he had met Kakashi and Tenzo. The boxers used that gesture so often that Iruka had stopped noticing it. But now, with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Sai </span>
  </em>
  <span>doing it too? He was starting to wonder if it was a quirk that the entire group of soldiers had picked up together. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Ah. I was just taking a nice walk before I started my shift at the bank. Which way are you going? I'd love to accompany you." Sai responded happily. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Okay. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Iruka may not have been the </span>
  <em>
    <span>brightest</span>
  </em>
  <span>, but he could tell that Sai's presence here was no coincidence. Honestly, he couldn't say that he minded so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I think you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>which direction I'm going, and that is perfectly fine by me." Iruka replied with a laugh. Sai blushed, but nodded and started to walk. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The walk was quiet, but even with Sai there, Iruka had the oddest feeling of being watched. He scanned his surroundings the best that he could without alerting his company, though he wasn't sure how successful he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm amazed you can tell we are being watched. You might have ended up being a good soldier in another life." Sai commented casually. His smile helped Iruka relax a bit, but he still raised an eyebrow at the younger man. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Sai chuckled, turning his head subtly towards a parked car across the street. It was a dark red sedan that he had never seen before. When his eyes reached the drivers side window, however, a set of dark mysterious eyes met his gaze. Pale fingers waved cheekily as Shisui watched them walk, a soft smile playing at his lips. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Iruka hadn't already had his hands full with Tenzo and Kakashi, he might have asked Shisui for his number. The officer was </span>
  <em>
    <span>insanely </span>
  </em>
  <span>attractive, like everyone else that the two military men had introduced him to. Iruka rolled his eyes, but subtly waved back, assuming both Uchiha officers were in the car. He really didn't need </span>
  <em>
    <span>this much </span>
  </em>
  <span>worry from everyone. He wasn't worth this kind of </span>
  <em>
    <span>effort. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Surely, these people had more important things to worry about than one ex-teacher and his shitty ex-boyfriend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The walk ended quickly, and Iruka said goodbye to Sai before giving the tiniest wave he could manage to the red sedan. He knew Shisui would be watching. Itachi too. Iruka could tell just from the two times he had been around them that they were fantastic at their job. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Obito leaned over the desk, a cheesy grin on his face. "Did she tell you about it?" He whispered, far too excited. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka rolled his eyes and huffed a laugh. Yes, Rin had already spent her entire first break telling him all about her third date with Obito. "Yes. She did. Sounds like you are </span>
  <em>
    <span>quite </span>
  </em>
  <span>the romantic." Iruka teased, watching as Obito smiled wider and dropped his upper body onto the desk dreamily. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>wonderful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Iruka. I don't know how I could ever find a girl better than her." Obito mused. Iruka half expected the man to start drooling on the desk. He could only </span>
  <em>
    <span>imagine </span>
  </em>
  <span>the things he would say once the young couple finally </span>
  <em>
    <span>had sex. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He had been here for three hours already, and it was a slow day. Iruka was glad for Obito and Rin's company. Both of them were excessively nice people, and he enjoyed their talks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The happy moment was broken when Obito launched himself up from the desk, arms flying out defensively as a body smacked into him and knocked him to the ground. Iruka startled, not noticing anyone running up, his heart beating wildly. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Was it Mizuki again?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka jumped from his seat, trying to see Obito from where the attacker had knocked him to the floor. The cursing and yelling wasn't reassuring, and Iruka was just getting ready to push the panic button on his walkie talkie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka could barely hear the soft voice whispering his name over the blood rushing through his ears. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunet turned quickly, breathing heavily as Itachi watched from the other side of the desk. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Itachi. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka inhaled sharply, leaning over the desk to identify Shisui tangled on the floor with Obito. It wasn't until that moment that Iruka finally made the connection. Obito </span>
  <em>
    <span>Uchiha. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>He slumped down into his seat just as Shisui apparently let Obito up from the floor. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shisui! You </span>
  <em>
    <span>asshole!</span>
  </em>
  <span> You can't just </span>
  <em>
    <span>do </span>
  </em>
  <span>things like that. You'll give somebody a heart attack!" Obito yelled, dusting off his clothes as the younger man jumped up with a smile. Obito turned to Iruka, worry filling his eyes. "Sorry if we scared you, Iruka. This is my cousin-" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shisui." Iruka said with a small smile, helpless to resist as the officer moved around the desk to sweep him up into a hug. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You know my cousins?" Obito questioned, mouth hanging open as he took in the sight of his younger cousin hugging his friend. "Right… you live with </span>
  <em>
    <span>Kakashi</span>
  </em>
  <span>." Obito mumbled, running his hands through his messy hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The phone rang, and Iruka nearly jumped out of his skin. Shisui gave him some space, backing up to have a seemingly mature conversation with Obito. Itachi hadn't moved from his spot to Iruka's left, watching silently as he answered the phone. "Gai's Gym, how can I help you?" </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"You think your new </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>friends </em>
  </b>
  <em>
    <span>can protect you? Think again." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's blood ran cold as Mizuki's voice once again drifted into his ear. Itachi was watching him very closely, and Iruka half-wondered if the man could </span>
  <em>
    <span>hear </span>
  </em>
  <span>the words coming from the other side of the line. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"If you weren't spreading your legs for everyone in town, no one would give a damn about you." </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka swallowed dryly, slamming the phone down with shaking hands. Mizuki always knew what to say to get under Iruka's skin… regardless of whether he was right or not. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi's hand was on his shoulder, Obito and Shisui having moved into the office. "He isn't right, you know." The man spoke softly. "I know it's hard, but next time, I need you to keep him on the line. We are bugging the phones here today. The longer he talks, the more likely he slips up and we can charge him with something." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka nodded. He knew that the most important thing he could do was listen to the police. They knew what they were doing. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get the best of him.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Not when one of his friends had already been hurt. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka took a deep breath, nodding carefully. "Yeah… okay. I'll do my best." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi nodded sharply, removing his hand and diverting his attention to the phone again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka found himself lost in his thoughts rather quickly. Mizuki was toying with him, trying to get him wound up and scare him into returning. The worst part was that Iruka </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>scared. However, he wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span>, regardless of how many times Mizuki had told Iruka that over the years. Going back to Mizuki </span>
  <em>
    <span>now </span>
  </em>
  <span>was a death sentence. Iruka had been shown </span>
  <em>
    <span>love</span>
  </em>
  <span>. He knew better than to mistake what he and Mizuki had as anything other than pure manipulation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Still… it was hard to ignore the words with the timing of it all. Iruka </span>
  <em>
    <span>had </span>
  </em>
  <span>just slept with both of his new friends. Mizuki </span>
  <em>
    <span>couldn't </span>
  </em>
  <span>have known that… but he probably could have guessed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Mizuki could accurately guess that Iruka was sleeping with Kakashi and Tenzo… maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>was </span>
  </em>
  <span>too promiscuous. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Another warm hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts once more. Obito was watching him worriedly, with Shisui also watching over his cousin's shoulder. The two of them </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>look shockingly similar. If it wasn't for the hair, Iruka could believe they were brothers. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Are you alright, Iruka?" Obito asked quietly. "If you want to go home, I would understand." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka smiled, his eyes a bit wet from the stress of the phone call. Once again, he was a bit overwhelmed with how nice his new friends were. "No… I'll be okay. I think I'll take my break now, though." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Obito perked up immediately. "Okay! I can cover your break." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>~</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of Iruka's day went by slowly. Obito and Shisui used the gym together for a few hours, but there were very few customers for the day. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka stepped outside, he half-expected that another one of Kakashi and Tenzo's friends would be waiting for him outside. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wasn't sure whether he was disappointed, or relieved when there was nobody. Of course, the red sedan was still parked across the street, and Iruka tried his best not to draw too much attention to it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka made it nearly half a block before the first bout of paranoia hit him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He could </span>
  <em>
    <span>swear </span>
  </em>
  <span>he saw white hair in the group of people moving towards him. His heart was pounding. He wasn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>ready </span>
  </em>
  <span>to come face to face with Mizuki again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka's entire body froze as the small group of people passed by him, not a single one of them sparing him a second glance. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka forced his feet to move, his eyes frantically searching the crowds and every shadow. His heart raced each time he passed the end of a building, because </span>
  <em>
    <span>surely, </span>
  </em>
  <span>that was a good place for Mizuki to hide. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If his psycho ex-boyfriend had been hiding behind the corner, what could he do about it? Iruka had no way to defend himself. He had no pepper spray, no fighting skills to speak of, and no one to protect him. Yes, Shisui and Itachi were in a car nearby. But would they get there in time if Iruka was attacked? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A child on a bicycle came flying around the corner, and Iruka nearly had a heart attack. This was too much. How could he move on with his life when Mizuki could be hiding around any given corner? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka knew his feet had stopped moving. He </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew </span>
  </em>
  <span>his body was shaking. The world was blurry, and Iruka honestly couldn't tell if it was from </span>
  <em>
    <span>tears</span>
  </em>
  <span>, or from </span>
  <em>
    <span>blinding panic. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka." A soft voice called out to him. Itachi crossed in front of his field of vision, head tilted and arms gripping Iruka's tightly. "Just breathe, okay? You're okay. Everything is fine. I'm right here with you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi hesitated a moment before pulling Iruka in for a hug. The younger man was stiff, and clearly not used to giving affection in this manner. Still, it worked. Iruka felt warm, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>safe </span>
  </em>
  <span>again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Itachi pulled away after a moment, his features uncharacteristically unsure. "Sorry… I should have sent Shisui instead. He is much better at these sorts of things." Itachi mumbled. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka wiped his eyes, breathing deeply as he continued to get a grip once again. "No… you did just fine. Thank you, Itachi." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The younger man smiled before he schooled his features. "I can walk the remaining distance with you." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka took him up on the offer, walking in comfortable silence with the police officer. Itachi offered a wonderful sense of comfort. Iruka knew that Itachi could handle himself, even though he had never actually seen the man fight. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Not surprisingly, Kakashi was waiting for them by the elevator. Iruka had no doubt in his mind that Shisui had stayed in the car to call one of his roommates. The notion was confirmed as soon as Itachi turned away. Kakashi wrapped him in his arms immediately, burying a cold nose in his hair. Iruka didn't mind Kakashi's cold skin. The embrace was still comforting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What happened?" Kakashi asked quietly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka sighed softly, pulling away from Kakashi's chest. The man's silver eyes were full of worry, and it hurt a bit to know that it was Iruka who made him look that way. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I… I think I just panicked a bit. Mizuki called again today, and I let it get into my head." Iruka explained as Kakashi led him into the elevator. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi didn't say much, simply offering his comforting touch and a listening ear as Iruka explained the phone call. The older man didn't speak again until they were back in the apartment, and Tenzo met them at the door. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The brunet didn't waste any time wrapping himself around Iruka protectively. "Tomorrow, I'll walk you home from work personally." Tenzo spoke into Iruka's hair. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't want to be an inconvenience to you. I know you have other things that you like to do during the day." Iruka replied almost instantly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Iruka… you could </span>
  <em>
    <span>never </span>
  </em>
  <span>be an inconvenience." Tenzo answered, warm arms tightening around his shoulders. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I just… I don't want to have to have someone there to watch over me all the time. I'm an </span>
  <em>
    <span>adult. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I should be able to walk two blocks on my own." Iruka replied sullenly. He pulled out of Tenzo's grasp, pacing a bit as he stared at the floor. "I </span>
  <em>
    <span>hate this. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I hate feeling so </span>
  <em>
    <span>useless. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I want to be able to protect </span>
  <em>
    <span>myself</span>
  </em>
  <span>." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Iruka finally looked up, both men were watching him carefully. Kakashi was the first to speak. "What method would you want to use to protect yourself?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Physical training would take a considerable amount of time." Tenzo commented, brown eyes trained on Iruka's. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kakashi nodded, tilting his head. "Pepper spray is unreliable, and fails to stop larger attackers. We already know that some of Mizuki's contacts are larger than the average person." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Iruka crossed his arms. He knew options were limited, and he would need something that he could train for in a shorter amount of time. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How difficult would it be for me to legally carry a gun?" Iruka asked quietly. Of course, he knew that he would require more training to be comfortable… but he was not </span>
  <em>
    <span>entirely </span>
  </em>
  <span>inexperienced with firearms. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Tenzo and Kakashi shared a look, and Tenzo nodded to his captain. Kakashi smirked, locking his gaze with Iruka. "</span>
  <em>
    <span>Very </span>
  </em>
  <span>easily." He replied. </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Author's note: Hiatus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>I just wanted to make this announcement to explain myself a little bit. I have been fighting with myself for these last few months, trying to get some motivation to continue writing this story. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The truth? I haven't written a word on the next chapter. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>can't. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>There are a couple reasons why I'm having a hard time with this story, one of them being that I simply don't like writing Iruka very much anymore. If any of you have looked at any of my other works lately, you may notice that he hasn't really been part of any of my new works. I still love him as a character… I just can't get into writing him for some reason. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The other reason, and probably the more prominent one, is the comments I have gotten. For some reason, there have been  comments from people who feel like they </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>what Iruka's response should be, or how he would handle the situation. The only person who knows this is </span>
  <em>
    <span>me. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Because I am the one writing him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I shouldn't </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to mention this, but I'm going to. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Everyone reacts to things differently. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Some people seem to think that they need to tell me how Iruka should/will react to things. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Basically, dealing with these comments has completely sapped any motivation for this story away, and for that, I am truly sorry. A lot of people have been extremely supportive of this story, and it really upsets me that it has come to this, but I would rather not force something out. I love this story too much to do something like that. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When I return to this story, and I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>return, it will be with the motivation I am sorely lacking at the moment, so that I can do the ending justice. This time, I make no promises for how long it will take. I hope you all can forgive me, and will be here when I return.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I hope to return soon! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Until next time! </span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Let me know what you think! Comments make my day!</p></blockquote><div class="children module" id="children">
  <b class="heading">Works inspired by this one:</b>
  <ul>
    <li>
        <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27558361">Therapy dog Bull</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/rrina_1/pseuds/rrina_1">rrina_1</a>
    </li>
  </ul>
</div></div></div>
</body>
</html>